2020 may have been the year that changed the plastic surgery industry forever.
The disruption didn’t come from some astonishing new technology, or a ground-breaking surgeon unveiling a new technique. The market changed because of Zoom calls and cancelled vacations.
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) recently released the findings from their 2020 member survey, and the consensus is that the global pandemic had a massive impact. While most industries struggled, the plastic/ cosmetic surgery industry actually experienced a mini-boom, with 70% of polled surgeons reporting an increase in bookings and treatments during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Here are some other interesting findings.
The Face of the Industry is Changing
According to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the desire of women to change the shape and size of their breasts has made breast augmentation the most popular plastic surgery on the market for the last decade or so, with just under 300,000 procedures in 2019.
Although, it’s worth noting that not all these changes were for larger breasts. Indeed, many women now looking to emulate celebrities with small breasts and therefore asking for smaller implants rather than the larger DD+ ones.
However, once the American Society of Plastic Surgeons tallies its 2020 data, it will be interesting to see if a facial procedure finally overtakes breast augmentation for the #1 spot. According to the AAFPRS’ data, surgeons said the following facial procedures saw a notable increase in 2020.
- Rhinoplasty (78%)
- Facelifts (69%)
- Eye lifts (65%)
- Neck lifts/treatments (58%)
90% of surveyed facial plastic surgeons said they saw an increase in business higher than 10%.
The Zoom Boom
The COVID-19 lockdown forced over 40% of the American workforce to work from home. This meant millions of people logging onto video calls every day, and literally seeing their faces in a new light.
This has led thousands of people to reach out to plastic surgeons, in what has been called The Zoom Boom. An overwhelming 83% of surveyed surgeons said they attributed their increase in business to Zoom and other forms of video calls.
Millions of people are now feeling the pressure to look camera-ready for work.
An Unprecedented Opportunity
The COVID-19 lockdown also did two things to create a unique opportunity to get plastic surgery:
- Forcing millions of people to work from home
- Forcing millions of people to cancel their vacations and other plans
Without the burden of showing up in the office every single day, people can now discreetly get plastic surgery, without having to take any time off. They can simply recover while working from home.
At the same time, COVID-cancelled vacations come with a silver lining. It means that people now have a bit of money that they were going to spend on their get-aways, with a burning desire to spend that money on something to treat themselves.
These new trends show no signs of slowing down, as the general public is seeing plastic surgery in a whole new light. Back in 2014, a survey of people that had never had plastic surgery revealed that only 17% were in favour of getting it. However, in June of last year, a study by The ASPS revealed that nearly 50% of those surveyed were open to getting their first procedure.