I was recently reading statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) where they cited the results of a survey. 11% of women (over 1,000 women were asked) who had never had surgery said they were more interested in the procedures now than before the pandemic. Interest in aesthetic procedures was on the up too. So what has changed  due to the pandemic?

In a word, zoom! With more people working from home and mobile devices and social media apps on the rise, we may see more of ourselves than we like. Flaws are amplified and on show and shadows we never thought existed, suddenly appear. Even though it is ludicrous to think we look the same as we do on a device as we do in real life, it has still had an impact on self esteem and perception. I have heard many people cry, “I can’t believe I look so bad!” I stare at them in disbelief because they truly are not seeing an accurate picture. Let’s call it dysmorphia which distorts reality from perception. A bigger concern I have is that the imagery we are shown is filtered and adjusted –  the notion of perfection is not real. So when we compare ourselves to images we are shown of celebrities or models, we are not seeing them as they really are! No adult is pore-less and flawless without help.

So as aesthetics professionals we have a duty to encourage body positivity and be real about what can and cannot be achieved as far as beauty goes. That is why the messages we pass on to our society are so crucial in building whole and happy human beings!

But since technological advances are here to stay, I like to focus on what is most important, building self esteem. I want my patients to feel good, regardless of what zoom is telling them!  Focus on being the best version they can be, striving for gentle and natural adjustments that make them glow from self confidence. No matter what, that always translates across to people, face to face or online.

Luckily we have some solutions that can help crush negative internal dialogue!