The COVID-19 crisis has been a perfect weight-gain storm for a lot of Canadians.
Gym closures have frustrated gym rats in Ottawa, Toronto, and other red zones. Meanwhile, mass cabin fever has caused nationwide stress eating. This has created a worldwide phenomenon called The Quarantine 15.
COVID-19 has led to a mini-surge for the plastic surgery industry. Canadian plastic surgeons have seen their appointment bookings grow by anywhere from 30% to 300%. At the same time, a recent study conducted during the lockdown revealed that 50% of surveyed people are now open to getting their first plastic surgery.
The Zoom Boom
One of the first places that the average person will notice The Quarantine 15 is in their face. They may see new jowls or a slowly emerging double chin. Meanwhile, millions of people are now working from home and having to look at their own faces on Zoom calls every day.
If you find yourself looking at your own image constantly on these calls, you’re not alone. Over half of surveyed people admitted that they check themselves out on video calls more than they would like.
Countless people are ending their video calls and immediately Googling to see what type of chin lifts and rhinoplasty Toronto has to offer. Canadians are researching liposuction, Botox treatments and eyelid lifts in record numbers.
Recover From Home
The work-from-home lifestyle has also created a unique opportunity for people to get plastic surgery, and then discreetly recover from it while working from home. If they still had to show up to an office every day, they would have to use their vacation time to stay at home and recover.
Now, they can have a liposuction procedure done on a Friday, take the weekend to rest, and then dial into work Monday morning.
Cancelled Vacations and Extra Money
COVID-19 has also caused millions of people to cancel their spring and summer plans. They have had to cancel vacations and destination weddings because of travel restrictions. At the same time, countless parents couldn’t send their kids to summer camp this year, even with more relaxed COVID restrictions in place during June and July.
This leaves them with a few thousand dollars that they had set aside, and a burning desire to treat themselves or “do something fun” with that money. Some people are allocating these funds to a new kitchen or a new pool in the backyard. But a lot of other Canadians are using the money to get liposuction or some other form of plastic surgery.
These trends are poised to continue during the winter months, as even more people are being forced to cancel their winter tropical getaways or ski trips overseas.
COVID-19 has already caused a massive shift in the general public’s attitude towards plastic surgery. It will be interesting to see how things evolve as we deal with the second wave, and adjust to whatever the new normal will look like throughout 2021.
