Lockdown, remote working and endless video calls have led to one unexpected outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic – an increase in demand for cosmetic surgery, which has been called the "Zoom boom." 

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), which coined the new term, says cosmetic surgeons reported a 70 percent increase in virtual consultation requests in 2020. A similar figure of 64 percent has been recorded in the U.S. since the beginning of the pandemic. 

Cosmetic surgery can be defined as when someone changes their appearance for aesthetic purposes rather than medical reasons, encompassing non-invasive procedures such as Botox and "fillers" to invasive procedures such as facelifts and rhinoplasty.

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The UK is the world's fastest-growing market for fillers, valued at $1.4 billion a year. A new phrase to emerge, "lockdown face," refers to people obsessing over, and scrutinizing, their looks during hours of video calls in their badly lit kitchens and bedrooms. 

Michael Somenek, a plastic surgeon in Washington DC in the U.S., says industry professionals "have absolutely seen an increase in the number of surgical cosmetic procedures that people have been seeking directly related to Zoom."

In 2020, cosmetic surgeons across the world noted a rise in non-invasive facial procedures in both women and men such as "resurfacing" to correct lines caused by facial expressions visible and exaggerated on Zoom and video calls. There has also been a surge in demand for neck rejuvenation and jawline contouring, as people spend hours fixating on themselves while they look down into a distorted laptop camera. 

Somenek says: "The number one procedure that people have been coming in for is either their upper eyelids or their neck, because they see this either hanging on the camera or looking like a double chin, or a little laxity or a jowl that forms around the jawline."

Experts say extra hours on the laptop do not just mean that we have more time to analyze our appearances but also to research potential procedures. And some people are using the time spent at home not having to commute into the office to their cosmetic advantage, undergoing recovery from their procedures while working at home, not having to take time off work. 

Cosmetic surgeon Catherine Hannan says there are two main groups that she has significantly noted undergoing surgery during this time. 

"I've seen the younger 20-year-olds, who in the past had been afraid to take time off from a new employer, maybe they're just out of college, but now they can work from home. 

"Then the moms who have been so hectic with their children. While their children are home learning, they sometimes have a spouse now who's home as well, who could maybe afford them a little bit of time for recovery."

While the pandemic has meant people are using their time at home to recover from surgical procedures, the toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on mental health, has also resulted in more fine lines, wrinkles and hair loss. 

"Our patients have more frown lines, because they've been so stressed for the last year and then some, and so they are potentially needing increasing doses of Botox in their foreheads and around their eyes to address that."

However, Hannan also says cosmetic surgery for some is a way to spend their disposable income and feel like they are looking after themselves. 

"This is a way that patients are saying, 'I can't travel, I can't see my family, this is something I can do to make myself feel more confident right now.'"

Video editor: Riaz Jugon