WOLOSHYN: Zoom paves the way for the rise of the cosmetic surgery industry

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Since the start of this horrific pandemic, the phrase “new normal” has been applied to just about every aspect of our lives.

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Face coverings, hand washing and sanitizing, take out, Zoom meetings, punches, bread baking and anti-vaccination protests are now part of our daily regimen.

Sales of sporting goods, exercise equipment, and backyard upgrades have exploded as people desperately seek respites and deal with the unwanted weight they have accumulated.

While many businesses have struggled to keep their heads above water, others have experienced tremendous growth. The cosmetic surgery industry is certainly a prime example.

In 2020, Americans spent $ 9.3 billion on cosmetic procedures, up from $ 8.2 billion in 2019, and those numbers would have been even higher without the fact that many hospitals have canceled elective procedures due to COVID issues.

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So what has been the main driver of this growth? Zoom.

As people switched to working online, they began to see each other on their screens for extended periods of time, which gave them plenty of opportunities to examine the state of the face of their being, and the more you look, the more likely you are to find flaws. You start counting fine lines and wrinkles, and when those numbers start to double, people start picking up the phone looking for solutions.

Working from home meant you no longer spent money on buying lunch or building your wardrobe, so there is now money for the rebuilding work – assuming of course you were able to hold on to your job.

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Face facelifts, eyelid surgery and Botox injections have increased dramatically and yet the main surgeries have been breast augmentation and a particular procedure called Brazilian butt lift. Maybe it’s because people gain weight, an unintended consequence of having your refrigerator just steps from your home office.

This, for some, has become the “new normal”, which is quite ironic given that there is nothing normal about it at all.

Facial reconstruction and augmentation continues to gain popularity as more parts of the United States begin to relax the mandates of masks and people find themselves without that wall of cosmetic protection. Experts say work on the lips and nose will become a bigger target for surgeons’ scalpel.

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I guess some people will feel less anxious about their new facial features being obvious, as it’s hard to remember what those features looked like before masks became commonplace. In other words, you may look a little different, but people aren’t sure why; or if they notice it, they don’t want to say anything because it is possible that they have also undergone a similar procedure.

Maybe those who have had surgery could use a special wink or nod that only modifiers know. A bit like the masons’ secret handshake.

And so with the effects of COVID seemingly starting, or at least hopefully starting to subside and many returning to an albeit altered routine, will the cosmetic surgery industry see a reduction in growth? Honestly, I couldn’t even guess, just like we could never have predicted the experiences we had.

Personally, I’m not about to run to my local Botox clinic because those worry lines I’ve now carved on my face have been deserved – kind of like a war wound.

– The Ted Woloshyn podcast is available weekly on most platforms