Zoom meetings lead to a surge in cosmetic treatments

People are becoming more aware of their appearance as they are constantly seeing themselves on video.

November 17, 2020 08:01 pm | Updated 08:02 pm IST

People are concerned over their appearance on Zoom and seeking cosmetic treatment.

People are concerned over their appearance on Zoom and seeking cosmetic treatment.

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Zoom meetings are said to have raised users’ need for cosmetic treatments as they look to boost their appearance in video-conferencing call.

"This may have drastic effects on body dissatisfaction and desire to seek cosmetic procedures," dermatologists from Massachusetts General Hospital and The Dermatology Institute of Boston wrote in the journal Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine .

In real-life conversations, we do not see our faces displaying emotions, and we do not compare our faces side-by-side with others like we do on video calls, dermatologists said.

People are becoming more aware of their appearance as they are constantly seeing themselves on video.

They are seeking care, particularly concerned with acne and wrinkles.

The terms “acne” and “hair loss” are increasing in this new virtual reality amid the pandemic, according to a recent study of Google search trends.

They believe that this trend is caused by anxiety, depression, and common psychological conditions during quarantine.

However, they believe that users are at a flawed representation of reality. Cameras can distort video quality, inaccurately representing one's true appearance. Webcams tend to produce a more rounded face, wider set eyes, and broader nose, dermatologists said.

"Perhaps there is a recent surge in patients seeking cosmetic procedures simply because they now see their imperfections on camera daily, or because the wrinkles they see on screen make them look more depressed to others and feel more depressed themselves," they said.

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