Apparently, spending hours staring at ourselves on Zoom meetings has led many of us to notice facial features we’d like to change. Plastic surgery practices in Houston and throughout the U.S. are seeing a bit of a boom in post-lockdown consultations for both surgical and nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedures.
In fact, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) recently surveyed more than 1,000 people to gauge their perceptions of plastic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization found that “49% of those who haven’t had plastic surgery indicated they are open to cosmetic or reconstructive treatment in the future. Of those, 28% would consider a first-time cosmetic procedure.”
Additionally, almost one-third of the respondents wanted specific procedures, including rhinoplasty, facelifts, and breast augmentation.
Many of the most-requested procedures correspond to areas that video conference calls tend to highlight, such as the neck and jawline and the eyelids. With that in mind, I’ll describe the treatments that can address concerns in these areas.
BOTOX® Cosmetic: Most people associate BOTOX injections with minimizing forehead wrinkles and lines around the eyes, but they can also improve the appearance of the chin. When BOTOX is used in the chin area, it helps erase unsightly dimpling which may make individuals look older or constantly worried. BOTOX can also help create a slimmer jawline when it’s injected into the masseter muscle. This muscle is the one engaged when you clench your teeth. BOTOX relaxes the muscle, giving the face a more angular look.
Jawline-Defining Procedures: In addition to BOTOX for jawline slimming, other nonsurgical treatments can help produce the defined jawline that is universally associated with an attractive face for both men and women. KYBELLA® is approved by the FDA to reduce fat below the chin, which not only reduces the appearance of a double chin but also improves jawline definition. Dermal fillers address age-related volume loss that can also soften the jawline’s angularity. Additionally, skin tightening treatments such as ThermiTight® can target neck skin that retains some of its elasticity but is beginning to sag.
Face and Neck Lifts: Some women and men need cosmetic surgery to restore youthfulness to their appearance. Loose neck skin, jowls, and sagging cheeks lead individuals to seek facelifts or neck lifts—or a combination of both—to remove excess skin and elevate tissue and muscle. A board-certified, experienced plastic surgeon performs these procedures using advanced incision techniques that make scarring barely perceptible and produces results that look natural. You can see the types of results we produce in our gallery of facelift before-and-after photos.
Eyelid Surgery: Wearing a mask covers the nose and mouth but draws increased attention to our eyes. People with dark circles or bags under the eyes may look like they’re constantly tired, and sagging upper eyelids can send the message that you’re not alert. Upper and lower blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) is fairly straightforward and produces remarkable results with minimal downtime.
One of the benefits of getting any plastic surgery at this point is that you can recover at home while still working. The timing is also right because few of us are seeing people at social events, so there’s no need to explain post-treatment bruising or swelling. If you’re looking in the Houston area for plastic surgeons to consult, you can contact us using the online form or call our Webster, TX, plastic surgery office at (281) 282-9555 to schedule an appointment.
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