Plastic surgery appointments surge as people spend more to look good amid pandemic

Due to the ongoing panic, financial pundits are already forecasting a grim outcome for the economy. Many businesses including high-profile global corporations are even purportedly considering filing for bankruptcy, reports economists. On the other hand, given the current situation, there are some types of services that have seen an unexpected upsurge. One of those is apparently plastic surgery, wherein doctors have confirmed a jump in appointments amid the ongoing health crisis. Surprisingly, it seems videoconferencing has purportedly contributed to the rising demand for cosmetic procedures.

Against the recommendations of international health authorities, most countries have preemptively lifted restrictions. Nevertheless, despite local travel now allowed with some precautionary measures, most people remain hesitant to do so. The decision appears prudent as COVID-19 cases are now on the rise once more as predicted by healthcare experts several months ago. With certain medical practices now allowed to conduct elective surgeries as reported by The New York Times.

Given that the pandemic requires that people wear face masks or isolate at home, patients who opted to have cosmetic surgery claim it is the ideal scenario for a "nip and tuck." What puzzles analysts is the fact that these procedures are quite costly. Prices can range anywhere between several thousand and beyond $25,000.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, it was pointed out that cosmetic surgery was no longer as popular as before. Instead of major procedures, many Americans are supposedly requesting minor changes such as Botox injections and lip augmentations. One of the speculated reasons behind it is the money that was saved for travel and other purchases can now be spent to look better.

Another contributing factor as revealed by doctors is social media and video calls. Now that folks are regularly online for work or leisure, they have grown to be more conscious of their appearance. In fact, many have noted a decline in people's mental health over the past few months as reliance on social media and teleconferencing have grown.

Patients diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorders have been growing, which psychologists attribute to the frequent use of FaceTime, Zoom, and other similar platforms. Furthermore, there's likewise an alarming growth in individuals who claim to have contemplated suicide.