With the arrival of the coronavirus, the use of videoconferencing has completely changed the way we live. But also the relationship to our image. A flourishing business for cosmetic surgery.
Mirror, mirror, well, we should rather say visio, visio, am I the / the most beautiful / beautiful? In the past year that the coronavirus has been part of our lives, the way we interact with our colleagues and loved ones has totally changed. The days are thus punctuated by numerous videoconferences for work (in certain sectors) or during a convivial aperitif with friends. Zoom, Teams and Google Meets have become a whole new vocabulary. But behind these social bonding tools hides a phenomenon related to self-perception. Thus spending long hours with the reflection of your image has the consequence of highlighting the shortcomings that some had managed to overcome. A vein for the cosmetic surgery industry.
“Zoom Dysmorphia”, what is it?
From this daily confrontation with its digital reflection was born the “Zoom Dysmorphia.” Quèsaco? “A life spent disproportionately 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 one. phenomenon of 'Zoom Dysmorphia "https://www.aufeminin.com/", said Dr Arianne Shadi Kourosh of Massachusetts General Hospital, and her co-authors, in an article dated November 16, 2020, which can be found on the News Medical website. Lighting, camera angle and pixelation plunge video platform users into pure dysmorphism (an inordinate concern over an imaginary flaw in physical appearance.).
Quads in search of perfection
Nose, mouth, wrinkles, everything goes. Cosmetic surgeons are bombarded with requests to remove imperfections and tired looks. Most of the time, quads are waiting in the waiting room. "They constitute the bulk of our new patients, that is to say 80% of the new clientele that we have been welcoming for a year. Unlike the younger generations – very comfortable with their image – those over 35-40 years of age have less. selfies, Instagram stories, or FaceTime. They were therefore less aware of the image they could send, and now face a problem of self-acceptance ", explained Tracy Cohen Sayag, general manager of the Champs-Élysées clinic, to the media 20 Minutes. The beauty expert has seen demand growth of around 30% compared to the same period last year for all ages. Another effect of the coronavirus is that wearing a mask now allows many operations to be carried out with the utmost discretion. A plus for those who choose the help of cosmetic surgery. And without cinema, restaurants or trips abroad, the budget becomes larger for potential interventions.
To protect yourself from self-hatred, our advice: turn off your camera when you can. It is a short-term but beneficial solution. Do not hesitate to do some work on yourself, to reframe your thoughts for a positive state of mind.