When elective surgeries were given the green light post-lockdown, cosmetic procedures rose at an astounding rate. Experts say the biggest factor is likely the “Zoom Boom.” With the switch to online work and meetings, many people went from only looking at themselves while washing their hands during bathroom breaks to suddenly staring at their images on a screen for hours each day. As a result, they had ample time to analyze their lines, wrinkles, double chins and more.
People quickly turned to seeking out solutions, cosmetic surgeons say, and thousands upon thousands began seeking plastic surgery during the pandemic, and now this surge has only increased as cities have opened their doors.
For those who suddenly didn’t need to commute, buy lunches out or add to their work wardrobes, the pandemic also meant more money in the bank to spend as they wished.
At the start of the pandemic, things didn’t look good for the field of plastic surgery. With lockdown, many hospitals and surgical centers banned all elective procedures, limiting plastic surgeries to those that were reconstructive in nature. In some cities, practices had to close to all but essential patients or quickly pivot their focus to in-office procedures. Patients canceled surgeries, afraid of new risks in the face of COVID-19. Some were no longer able to afford their procedures due to changes in income or were pulling back on spending just in case.
Doctors say breast augmentation and Brazilian Butt Lifts are the top surgeries being performed; however, liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery and facelifts are also on the rise. Less invasive procedures like Botox injections also are skyrocketing. Experts say the Botulinum Toxin market jumped from a -8.6 percent slump in 2020 to a 4.7 percent increase this year, and it’s still rising at an even faster pace.
Top New York City plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Westreich offers the following tips for those considering cosmetic procedures:
Tip 1: Make sure any doctor you schedule through a virtual visit allows you to cancel AFTER an in-person meeting for surgery. There is no substitute for face to face.
Tip 2: Results over name recognition. Your outcome will not be better than what they post online. That’s considered their best work.
Tip 3: Don’t rush. COVID-19 won’t last forever, and you will have opportunities in the future that are different but workable. Make sure you’re solid before moving on.
With mask mandates lifted in some areas, lower facial nonsurgical procedures will likely rise. Lips should make a huge comeback, and noses will stay strong. Body procedures will be on the rise now that people need to shed COVID-19 weight and are going out again.
Dr. Westreich says it’s also very important that patients are vaccinated to stay healthy pre- and post-operation. “The average of daily new COVID cases is now topping more than 152,000. This is up significantly in just a short period of time, and this is because many people are still refusing to get vaccinated around the world. Yet many are still opting to have these elective medical procedures and must take all of the necessary precautions. Hospitals in hard-hit states are still strained and death tolls are on the rise.”
More on Dr. Richard Westreich
Dr. Richard Westreich graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Biological Basis of Behavior, Neuroscience concentration in 1995 from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his medical school training at the New York University School of Medicine in 1999 with an M.D. and Honors in Cell Biology Research. Dr. Westreich then did his post-graduate training in Facial Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology at the prestigious Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
He has been selected multiple times by Castle Connolly and New York magazine as one of the top doctors in facial plastic surgery. He is an assistant professor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and is on staff at Lenox Hill and Mount Sinai Hospitals. He is a faculty member and teacher at a fellowship in Facial Plastic Surgery at Mount Sinai. His private practice is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where he specializes in rhinoplasty, septoplasty, secondary and reconstructive rhinoplasty, facelifts, eyelid surgery and nonsurgical procedures.
