The Zoom Effect on Beauty

The beauty of the office might have been its lack of mirrors. Since lockdown, we’ve had nothing but the opportunity to connect with colleagues, friends, family, and, for better or for worse, our own image. While our perceived physical appearance was suddenly cut in half (sweatpants on the bottom became the new uniform), the effort and concern we collectively put into our appearance dramatically increased.

Zoom Boom
Apparently, plastic surgery confirms this view. Approximately 40% of people with no previous history of facial cosmetic tweaks now plan to pursue treatments because of aesthetic concerns brought on by video conferencing. TikTok has popularized botox and injectables for the youngest patients, years before any loss of volume or wrinkles turn up, popularizing treatments called “Baby Botox” for wrinkle prevention or a “lip flip” for a poutier kisser. The New York Times recently reported male anxieties around returning to the office after having had hair transplants during the shutdown. 

No Needle Approach
If these methods seem drastic, there are too the less invasive (and needle-involved) methods of teeth straightening, whitening, and skincare more generally. There’s a flurry of orthodontic startups making teeth-straightening a less-threatening option than returning the office a “metal-mouth,” like Candid & InBrace, competitors to the already public Smile Direct Club. There are also hundreds of hours' worth of skincare advice on Reddit’s popular r/skincareaddiction thread. Hyperpigmentation or fine lines starting back at you? Skincare brands like Obagi will quiz you to find the best ($300+) shopping cart of solutions for what ails you. Allergan, the maker of Botox, acquired skincare brand SkinMedica to expand the company's wrinkle-preventing injectables into home regimens.

Then again, there’s always the beauty feature on Zoom, a simple and cost-effective strategy to remove pesky eye bags. Better yet, you can hide your own video.