Several news sources including the BBC have recently reported on a worldwide rise in the number of people receiving cosmetic procedures despite the ongoing pandemic. At first, this might seem counterintuitive but there’s more than one thing going on. One frequently mentioned factor is the use of Zoom, which forces us to literally look at ourselves far more than we normally would.

One more possible reason is that people don’t need to worry about taking any time off from work after more serious procedures, as almost everyone lucky to be working is already working from home because of the stay-at-home orders. It’s also much easier to hide any post-treatment swelling and bruising while on a video conference than doing so in person. Also, of course, during the increasingly rare times people are in public they are wearing masks.

Along with this decrease in our public exposure, people have a little more freedom in their routines so resting after a cosmetic procedure while remaining productive is perfectly plausible. In short, people who have been looking for ways to improve their appearance can now more freely do so by taking advantage of the mandatory downtime.

In essence, even in sad and turbulent times such as these, a silver lining can still be found for some of us. While many have become frustrated with the lack of in-person socializing, social isolation ironically offers the perfect opportunity for individuals to have enhancements done under the radar.