If you’ve been thinking about getting Botox or a brow lift, you aren’t the only one. "Zoom face" has everyone analysing their facial features to the point of being driven to cosmetic surgery.
"Zoom face" is a new term we’ve been hearing more of, the deeper into lockdown we venture. Last March, companies across the globe closed their doors, sending their employees home to continue their work. And, just like that, sweat sets became our new power suits, the couch became the perfect office space and Zoom calls were our gateway to access the world outside our intimate quarantine bubbles.
It sounds like an ideal situation, being able to sink into the couch cushions, cross-legged and comfy in your robe as you tap away on your laptop. Until, you get your daily reminder for the conference call held over video chat. This is where the concept of the "Zoom face" becomes a reality for most of us. After having attended countless virtual meetings by 2021, people are starting to realise the pressure to look good on camera.
A small part of it has to do with professionalism – we want to be our most presentable selves when representing our company and need to meet their standards. This expectation can easily be achieved by combing through unruly bed head, throwing on a formal blazer and slapping on a little under eye concealer to erase those eye bags. Some people, however, are choosing more extreme measures.
After looking into a camera all day and being so up close and personal with their own reflection, not to mention the added stress of having a screen full of colleagues staring back, people are turning to plastic surgery to correct all the little imperfections they’re noticing about themselves.
On top of this, there is a profound expectation for people to emerge from this pandemic as better versions of themselves. If you haven't perfected your banana bread skills, mastered the art of sour-dough starters, undertaken DIY home renovations, started a side hustle and exercised your mind and body then you have not made the most of the circumstances, at least according to the bombardment of betterment propaganda flooding social media.
From filling in frown lines to smoothing out crows feet, plastic surgeons from all over the world are reporting an unprecedented number of requests for procedures. Although it is uncertain as to whether this influx is due to a build up of patients not being able to go during lockdown, the enticing factor of being able to recover from surgeries at home without dipping into annual leave or because of the Zoom face phenomenon. Regardless, many of the procedures have to do with the face, indicating that it may very well be the latter.
Common facial cosmetic procedures people have include anti-wrinkle injections, brow lifts, face lifts, dissolving injections (for double chins, etc.) chemical peels for glowing skin and rhinoplasties.
If you’ve caught yourself obsessing over how you look on screen, there are ways to look good and feel confident that aren’t so invasive. From a snazzy suit to statement earrings, this list will have you looking fresh from the wait up for those work from home video meetings.
7 ways to look good from the waist up for those work from home video meetings.