In the United States, Australia, South Korea, and Japan, the demand for plastic surgery services has increased dramatically during the pandemic. Surprisingly, the demand for the services of plastic surgeons has increased during the period of coronavirus and quarantine in some countries. If before many people postponed a visit to a plastic surgeon due to lack of time, now they have decided to undergo surgery due to the possibility of staying at home during the postoperative period and often even continuing to work.
In some countries, plastic surgery clinics did not close, but many others had to temporarily cease operations or transfer a significant portion of their workforce to remote work. Clinics took a number of additional measures during the pandemic to protect patients and staff from coronavirus infection. For example, disinfection of all premises was increased, and patients were offered a Covid-19 test before visiting the doctor.
Plastic surgery clinics in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and Australia report an increase in demand for their services during the pandemic, with clients coming in to have their lips augmented or wrinkles corrected with Botox, and there has also been an increase in the number of clients seeking facelifts and nose jobs.
“I decided to have the procedure while in quarantine because now I can recover at home in peace,” said Los Angeles resident Aaron Hernandez, who opted for lip augmentation and cheek liposuction (fat removal). “Lip augmentation is not a procedure that men typically undergo, so the reaction to my decision may be different. Therefore, I would prefer to stay home during the recovery period after the procedure so that when I go out in public, no one will suspect what facial manipulation I have had,” says Aaron Hernandez. According to him, he had done a similar procedure in the past, even before the quarantine, and what bothered him was that he had to go to work, meet people, while his lips were swollen and bruised.
Renowned plastic surgeon Rod Rorich, who sees clients in Texas, also reports a significant increase in demand for his services. “If we wanted to, we could be operating six days a week right now. Something incredible,” he told the BBC. According to Rod Roerich, his clients used to try to plan the operation so they could stay at home, but now that many people work from home, there is no need to look for that option. “They can recover at home, and when they go out on the street – they have a mask on their face so no one can see what they have recently done, like a rhinoplasty or a facelift. People want to get back to normal life, and the desire to look as good as possible is part of the process of getting back to normal life,” says Rod Rorich.
The increase in demand for plastic surgery services is not limited to the United States. South Korea, where plastic surgery is highly developed, turned out to be one of the first countries to register cases of Covid-19. Plastic surgery is very popular in South Korea, and during the pandemic, the number of people seeking plastic surgery has increased even more. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next. The number of episodes should not be changed.
Rather than impose a nationwide lockdown, South Korea adopted a plan that required residents to maintain strict social distance and advised businesses to shift employees to remote work. In the initial period following the introduction of the restrictive measures, plastic surgery clinics in South Korea experienced a decrease in the flow of foreign clients, but local residents began to show greater interest in aesthetic medicine clinics. Some clinics even offered special discounts to local clients. A 54-year-old teacher from South Korea who underwent blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) in February told the Joongang Daily newspaper that she couldn’t make an appointment right away because every clinic she contacted had a full schedule. At BK Hospital in Seoul, they say that people were confused and worried at the beginning of the pandemic, but later more and more residents came to the clinic. “People felt safer and calmer enough to decide to have the operation. The number of patients continues to grow,” says the clinic’s official representative. “According to preliminary estimates, despite the coronavirus, the number of patients has increased by 50% compared to the same period last year,” – say at BK Hospital. According to a representative of the clinic, the number of foreign clients has increased recently. “The number of online inquiries [from abroad] has increased significantly as we have been able to conduct online consultations and prepare patients in advance for their trip to the surgery, which they will be able to make as soon as all restrictions are lifted,” said BK Hospital.
There was no quarantine in Japan, but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency, which was in effect until May 31. Authorities urged the country’s residents to stay at home if possible.
Not all Japanese have heeded the authorities’ call to stay at home. Nevertheless, the number of visits to plastic surgery clinics in Japan has also increased. The increase in the number of cases has forced the Association of Aesthetic Medicine in Japan to appeal to the country’s residents to postpone cosmetic surgeries as “they are not essential to life”. The association urged clinic clients to refrain from visiting plastic surgeons to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. Mishel Tadziri, a representative of the Bliss Aesthetic Medicine Clinic in Fukuoka, says that despite the government’s warnings, the number of clients seeking surgery has increased. “The main reason is that they do not go to the office and do not have to set aside time for rehabilitation. In addition, everyone wears a mask these days and all the consequences of operations and procedures can be easily concealed,” says Michel Tadziri.
Aaron Hernandez admits the surgery during quarantine was the best decision for him. “This gave me more time to recover. I was able to take necessary medications that I wouldn’t be able to take if I had to drive. I was able to put ice on my lips and face after surgery,” said Aaron Hernandez.
In many countries, a ban on the operation of beauty salons and aesthetic medicine clinics was introduced during the pandemic. In Russia, for example, the ban was in effect from the beginning of April until June 9. With the introduction of self-isolation measures in Russia, scheduled dental appointments were also suspended. Exceptions were made only for patients requiring urgent care.