2020 will be remembered as the year that ruined everything. It ruined your plans. It ruined your social life. And it could be the year that ruined your self-esteem.
Gyms have been closed and routines have been shattered. Your Fitbit steps have plummeted and your weight has gone up. Then, just to rub it in, you're now forced to dial into a video call every morning, featuring a little window with your tired face at the bottom of the screen.
If this all sounds painfully familiar, you're not alone. It's the reason that Toronto Plastic Surgeons and clinics around the world are seeing an influx of clients looking for facelifts, Botox and liposuction right now.
That Stupid Little Window
If you're constantly checking yourself out in that little window at the bottom of a video call, you're not shallow or self-centered. You're actually in the strong majority. A recent survey revealed that 52% of respondents admitted that they're checking themselves out more than they like on video calls.
These video calls give us a chance to see ourselves more than we're used to. It's more than distracting. It's disheartening. Most of the time, your webcam is positioned at an almost-never-flattering low angle. You try things like propping some books under your laptop and raising it up to avoid the double-chin angle. You used to think this room had good lighting, but now you're seeing unflattering shadows.
It's an awful experience and you're well within your rights to just tell people that the Wi-Fi speeds are bad and shut off your webcam.
Zooming in on Flaws
Video calls are particularly torturous if you're insecure about some part of your face. Maybe you have never liked your nose, or you've noticed an eyelid starting to droop in recent years.
Thanks to Zoom, you now know exactly how this flaw looks from every angle. You have seen how it looks when you're talking or drinking coffee. You do your best to stay focused and pay attention to the meeting, but your attention keeps darting back to your image.
The constant exposure to these little hang-ups has inspired thousands of people to finally decide to get the plastic surgery they have always wanted.
Botox, Fillers and Nose Jobs
The plastic surgery industry has experienced a mini-boom because of COVID-19. People are tired of looking at their flaws and they are ready to do something about it.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) recently surveyed 1000 people that had never undergone any sort of plastic surgery prior to the COVID crisis. Almost 50% of respondents said that they were open to the idea of getting plastic surgery in the near future.
That's a massive jump from 2014, when a similar survey revealed that nearly 50% of respondents were against plastic surgery and only 17% would consider it. People that used to be opposed to the idea of plastic surgery are now Googling the different types of rhinoplasty.
This new attitude towards plastic surgery has clinics across the world seeing a new wave of people looking for Botox, nose jobs, and eyelid surgeries. But these clinics are also getting a lot of requests from people that are interested in a liposuction procedure.
Staying home and staying safe has led to unhealthy eating habits for a lot of people. We're all doing a lot of stress eating. We're also too stressed to cook and food delivery companies have never been busier.
This has led to countless people putting on the "Quarantine 15," as a sedentary lifestyle slowly adds unwanted weight to people's waistlines and under their chins.
There are also people at the other end of the spectrum. They're using lockdown as an opportunity to work on themselves. All of this new free time means that they are working out and eating right for the first time in their entire lives. But after a few months of hard work, they can't seem to lose those last few pounds. Rather than trying to fight their age or their metabolism, they get body contouring to complete their dream body.
As you can see, you're not alone in your COVID-related struggles. If you hate the way you look these days, don't beat yourself up. We're all doing our best to be extra-kind to other people during these trying times. But don't forget to be kind to yourself.
