Zoom Meetings Could Affect SelfImage As Demand For Plastic Surgery Rises

Even as the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives, video conferencing platforms such as Zoom have become the preferred digital tool for communicating and collaborating. While these platforms bring a lot of convenience, there is a growing concern that Zoom meetings can damage self-image. After all, most of the time we are looking at our faces. A new study finds that the demand for plastic surgery has increased dramatically in recent months due to so-called “zoom dysmorphia”.

In an editorial published in Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine , the authors note an increase in the number of patients citing their appearance on Zoom as a reason for seeking treatment. The patients were particularly concerned with acne and wrinkles. Citing Google search trends, the report pointed out that terms such as “acne” and “hair loss” are on the increase.

They attributed this trend to the association of acne and hair loss with anxiety and depression, common psychological conditions during midlife. We suspect that the trend may also come from people constantly seeing themselves on video and becoming more aware of their appearance, he added.

The report pointed out that before Zoom became the metric for evaluating its appearance, patients used selfies and a variety of photo editing apps to post a filtered version of themselves. Called Snapchat dysmorphia, many patients wanted to get closer to the altered version of their face.

In 2019, 72% of members of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reported seeing patients seeking cosmetic procedures to improve their selfies, he added.

Unlike the filtered version of still photos, users have little control over their appearance in Zoom meetings – a reason many are looking for an artificial change in their appearance and aesthetic procedure. According to the report, some may have feelings of depression after seeing their own wrinkles and fear that others will find them depressed. Another explanation is that users flock to plastic surgery due to their own imperfections on a daily basis.

It becomes a major concern when an individual becomes excessively preoccupied with real or imagined flaws. A life disproportionately spent on Zoom can trigger a self-critical comparative response that leads people to rush to their doctors for treatments they might not have considered for months in front of a video screen, a new phenomenon of “zoom dysmorphia,” he added.