'Unbelievable Phenomenon': Coronavirus Pandemic Causing Plastic Surgery Boom
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The coronavirus pandemic has caused a boom for plastic surgeons. Doctors say it's the ideal time with so many people working from home and not socializing.
There's been a backlog for elective surgeries. That's part of the reason for the increase in cosmetic procedures and doctors say it's also driven by so much downtime, and people apparently aren't liking what they're seeing on Zoom.
Plastic surgeons are juggling schedules to accommodate a surge of patients.
"It does help that people aren't seeing anyone," Dr. Payman Danielpour said. "There are no parties so everybody wants to get in and have a facelift, everyone wants to get in and have their mommy makeover done."
Among the motivations are people working from home, saying they don't like what they see on video conferencing.
"I'm looking at myself on these Zoom conferences all day long and I see wrinkles around my eyes, I see hollows under my eyes," Danielpour said.
After being shut down at the beginning of the pandemic, plastic surgery, an elective, is skyrocketing.
"It's an unbelievable phenomenon. I don't understand it," Dr. Kirk Brandow said, "but I'm very happy about that."
Brandow, a plastic surgeon in Bala Cynwyd, says the pandemic has forced more downtime and in public, masks are everywhere so concealing a recovery is easier.
"They can sort of be undercover with a big pair of sunglasses and a mask," Brandow said.
Brandow says patients have more disposable income to spend on cosmetic procedures because of things like canceled vacations. Botox remains popular along with surgical interventions, facelifts and breast augmentation.
Masks are mandatory, temperatures monitored, COVID-19 testing is increased along with sanitizing and spacing patients.
"It made me feel safer to do the surgery," patient Laura Lawrie said.
Lawrie had her breast implants removed because of a complication. She was among a backlog of patients who's surgery had to be postponed because of the coronavirus.
A new study from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found 68% of doctors are seeing patients virtually when they can for pre and post-operative appointments because of COVID-19.
