An East Midlands beauty clinic has reported a rise in people seeking cosmetic enhancements as a result of seeing themselves on video calls during the Covid-19 pandemic.
New clients of the Cosmedocs Midlands clinic, in Burton Road, Derby, have complained of feeling more self-conscious after being shocked at their online appearance on video platforms like Zoom, Teams and Skype.
Some have said they looked angry, tired or washed-out all the time, while others have become more conscious of lines, wrinkles, and ageing necks and jowls.
Clinic director Dr Tayyab Bhatti said the ‘Zoom-boom’ phenomenon had certainly led to a sharp increase in patients seeking treatments for the first time.
“The knock-on effect from people seeing themselves as others see them, through the massive growth of Zoom calls during the pandemic, is inevitably that they have become more self-aware,” said Dr Bhatti.
“Fortunately, we carry out many simple, non-invasive treatments that are usually enough to make a real difference.
“Certainly, a lot of clients have elaborated about being conscious of self-projection during video calls, especially seeing lines and wrinkles around their mouth, and frowns.
“Some clients report that they look angry all the time. Others report looking generally tired or washed-out.”
Cosmedocs Midlands, which offers non-surgical aesthetic treatments such as dermal fillers, facial remoulding, skin peeling and fat reduction injections, also provides surgical treatments through its nationwide network of clinics.
Dr Bhatti said that the broad range of potential treatments ensured a solution was available for most client wishes.
Anti-wrinkle injections are often prescribed for heavy brows or frown lines, for example, while dermal fillers or skin treatments such as a peel or Hydrafacial are good at resolving the ‘washed-out’ look.
Cosmedocs has also recently introduced an advanced, high-tech Morpheus8 procedure, used by the likes of celebrities Amanda Holden and Kim Kardashian, which is particularly effective at rejuvenating ageing necks and jowls.
This non-surgical procedure delivers treatment from tiny needles that penetrate the skin tissue and use radio frequency energy to fractionally remould fatty areas and cause the skin to tighten.
Dr Bhatti said that the increase in first-time clients at Cosmedocs Midlands was mostly female, though the clinic also saw a steady flow of men coming through the door.
“Our male clients are usually seeking treatments ranging from facials and hair removal to a wide range of injectables like fillers and anti-wrinkle injections, as well as treatments for things like excessive sweating and bruxisms,” he said.
He added that another reason for the recent spike in patients at the clinic was possibly because many people had saved money on commuting and work expenses during lockdown and furlough periods, so had chosen to use it to improve their appearances.
For further information, contact Cosmedocs Midlands on 01332 404325 or visit www.cosmedocs.com/locations/derby-clinic/.