How remote work and social media are creating a plastic surgery boom

Plastic surgery has been booming over the past decade. Pop culture and social media helped to influence a new generation of people being proud and transparent about cosmetic enhancements.

But in 2020, things took a dip. Hospitals and centers closed, staff members were laid off and elective surgeries came to a halt. However, the plastic surgery industry bounced back strong.

Experts point to a phenomenon called the “Zoom effect” or the “Zoom Boom.” Covid limitations shifted in-person meetings and social events to video calls, meaning more people became hyper-critical of their facial features. That dissatisfaction led to a much higher interest in plastic surgery above the shoulder.

Some patients are motivated by the downtime spent at home. An increase in work-from-home policies at some U.S. employers allows for patients to fully recover at home without using their paid time off. 

Others are motivated by the ability to recover in plain sight — more and more people are getting procedures done on features that are covered by their masks. The opposite is also having a moment — surgeons report an increase in patients getting work done above the nose since those features are highlighted when a person is wearing a mask.   

Another big influence? Finances. Many hopeful plastic surgery candidates were able to save substantial amounts of money during stay-at-home restrictions in order to afford their dream procedure.

Doctors say the future of plastic surgery is more plastic surgery. With cosmetic treatments becoming more advanced, more affordable and less taboo, the Covid-19 boom is just the beginning.