Popular doctors are reporting a serious upswing in pandemic plastic surgery with no signs of slowing down for the holiday season.
Jewelry, cars, and other wealth-fueled trinkets were among the popular and culturally accepted gifts of the last decade or so for those of means, but with 2020 being an ongoing display of staying at home, social distance, and time to recover-- top plastic surgeons are reporting a major business boom even as other industries have all but eroded.
"We have found many patients are choosing this time to better themselves," Dr. Ryan Neinstein, a popular Manhattan-based plastic surgeon and founder of Neinstein Plastic Surgery, said of pandemic-era social distance and downtime. "We have gone from using the operating room three days a week to six surgical days during this time. Our most commonly-requested procedure was minimally-invasive liposculpting, but since people have more downtime and room to recover we are now seeing an uptick in full-body sculpting."
Photo by Atikah Akhtar on Unsplash
Neinstein says the biggest demographic growth for his practice is working moms, a segment of the population often too saddled with hectic schedules to make time for surgical procedures and often weeks-long recovery times. "I also see many people doing more and more injectables as the pandemic lasts as a small way to make them feel good about their appearance during troubled times."
According to statistics released by PlasticSurgery.org, Botox and other toxin-based treatments designed to temporarily 'freeze' wrinkle lines have been steadily growing year after year, but doctors think 2020 may bust last year's four percent annual growth thanks to beauty-seekers having more time on their hands, stimulus cash, and the added pressure to appear Zoom-ready.
And giving Botox or other in-office injectable treatments for the holidays? That's just par for the Christmas course for beauty devotees, especially since the news of Kris Jenner giving her friends and family Botox last Christmas broke. "It’s a one-stop shop for me,” the 64-year-old told People of her sponsored campaign. “And who doesn’t love Botox? For me it’s been really great. If you’re responsible, and you talk to your doctor, I think it works. It’s something that I’ve been using for a long time."
Neinstein cautions against cheap holiday specials at medispas and walk-in clinics though. "I have noticed many medical spas and other types of providers trying to offer gift cards or holiday specials. While these ideas mirror trends in the beauty industry, I am always concerned about people being committed financially and emotionally to a procedure without being properly assed by a physician. For this reason, we extend hours to meet demand but never stray from our moral and ethical ethos of practicing medicine."
For busy New Yorkers, holiday times are prime cosmetic surgery treatment time. "Many of our most favorite holidays are spent in cozy clothes with family," Neinstein says of the popularity of winter break surgeries. "I typically do 15-20 surgeries a week, but on a holiday long weekend will add 5 surgeries to my week and a bigger time off like Christmas will add 10 or more surgeries, never mind a pandemic where we're all being told to stay home anyway."
Photo courtesy of Ryan Neinstein, MD
Another New York-area plastic surgeon, John Paul Tutela, MD, is seeing a massive uptick in injectable procedures in his New Jersey and Manhattan offices. "Injectables like Botox and fillers have almost doubled since quarantine in my practice. I think this is because so many people are have a little extra money saved up and they are spending lots of time on video conferences and meetings where they are forced to stare at their own image for prolonged periods of time," he explains of the record-setting numbers. "This is fueling a desire to make enhancements."
A recent study published in the journal Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine noted a surge in patients citing their appearance on Zoom as a primary reason to consider cosmetic surgery and procedures. The phenomenon, which the authors of the researched now call "Zoom Dysmorphia" cited noses and wrinkles as the most commonly complained about facial features. Other hot-button aesthetic issues have seen a rise in attention during quarantine, too. A significant increase in Google search trends for the terms "acne" and "hair loss" were noted by the authors starting in March. The researchers attributed this trend to the association of acne and hair loss with anxiety, depression and feeling negative about the future-- common psychological issues during quarantine.
"We suspect the trend may also arise from people constantly seeing themselves on video and becoming more aware of their appearance,” said Arianne Shadi Kourosh, from Massachusetts General Hospital, and one of the authors of the article. But before Zoom, there was Instagram, Snapchat, and even TikTok-- all constant reminders of one's own self-worth through the lens of a selfie.
The authors noted that in 2019, 72 percent of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery members reported seeing patients seeking cosmetic procedures to improve their selfies. What is Zoom if not a constant, fluid selfie?
While demand for most injectable and minimally-invasive cosmetic treatments is up since the beginning of 2020, some treatments have actually fallen out of favor. "Kybella is a fat melting injection that has become less popular as the final results left much to be desired," says Tutela of the fat cell-killing injectable that users often reported as irritating, less effective than outpatient chin liposuction, and sometimes left uneven results. "The surgery that I'm seeing the most demand for in my practice is still cosmetic breast and body surgery, and I think my results speak for themselves."
Photo courtesy of John Paul Tutela, MD
Tutela, who boasts a patient list including popular stars of the cast of Jersey Shore, has a breast augmentation waiting list as long as the line the one most metro-area residents are used to braving for Trader Joe's before the holidays.
"I actually think the trend for more injectables including Botox and fillers will continue for sure," he said when asked if he expected surgeries and injections to taper off as vaccines roll out and the raging pandemic era draws to a close. "I think there will be a lot of things that stick around after the pandemic, and Zoom meetings and Botox will be here to stay."