The ‘Zoom Boom’ continues to rock the plastic surgery space, according to the newest annual statistics from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS).
The term ‘Zoom Boom’, first used to describe the uptick in requests for cosmetic treatments in the early days of COVID, is an indirect—not to mention entirely unexpected—result of society’s sudden shift to conference call culture.
After months spent staring into computer screens at close-ups of their own reflections, work-from-homers who’d never considered facial plastic surgery suddenly found themselves obsessing over imperfections both real and perceived. And now, as we return to some semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy, more and more people are interested in nips and tucks—not only to look better on video, but also in person.
According to the latest annual stats and trends from the AAFPRS, 79% of facial plastic surgeons said patients were seeking procedures for an improved appearance on video conferencing in 2021, compared to just 16% during the previous year. Additionally, the total number of surgical and non-surgical facial plastic surgery treatments is up dramatically: Facial plastic surgeons performed an average of 600 more procedures than they did in 2020, a 40% surge, according to the new data.
“Our members are seeing increased requests for surgical procedures including facelifts, rhinoplasties, blepharoplasties, and even lip lifts, and the demand for non-surgical treatments is way up, too,” says AAFPRS President Corey S. Maas, MD. “We continue to believe that the zoom boom effect is a major contributing factor in our patients’ changing behaviors. Despite even a pandemic, our statistics continue to point to a strong desire to look and feel confident.”
