Cheshire celebrity cosmetic surgeon sees surge in eyelid and jowl operations due to lockdown Zoom effect
We’ve spent months living our personal and professional lives via video calls – and apparently it’s making us view our looks in a whole new (not so fabulous) light. So much so that cosmetic surgeon Ian Morgan has been inundated with calls from clients who don’t like their Zoom face.
“We are used to seeing our posed reflections in the mirror, but for many of us this is the most we’ve ever seen ourselves on screen, moving and talking,” says Ian. “It gives us a whole new perspective on our face and may highlight issues we haven’t noticed before.”
For some this may be about realising how much they frown – and being determined to get Botox as soon as possible. Others are considering more significant measures. Two problem areas both women and men are noticing most are their jowls and eyes. A potent combination of unflattering phone or computer camera angles, plus bad lighting can highlight these areas in particular.
It’s not that they weren’t there before; it’s simply we’ve had more opportunity to notice them, says Ian, whose team at Soul Care Aesthetics are booking in dozens of lockdown lifts. “It’s interesting that we’ve had so much interest in particular for procedures used to address both these areas specifically,” he says. “I believe it’s because these are two areas that can fare quite badly on video calls.
“As anyone from the younger generation will tell you, taking a selfie that emphasises big eyes is incredibly flattering. But when you have excess skin and puffy fat on your eyelids, they can seem small and tired. Unflattering lighting on video calls can enhance dark shadows and lines in this area, and make the eyes appear more sunken – perhaps drawing attention to issues people haven’t noticed before.” Which might explain why requests for upper blepharoplasty – eyelid surgery that removes the excess skin above the eyes to give a more youthful appearance – are rocketing. As are enquiries into the one-stitch facelift – a relatively new procedure that is becoming the go-to for sagging jowls and cheeks, as well as loose necks and double chins.
All these problems may actually be exacerbated by our obsession with our phones because our constant looking down means that gravity is taking its toll on our jawline and necks, says Ian.
“The one-stitch facelift, performed under local anaesthetic is a 70-minute procedure whereby we make a small incision in the hairline, cut and remove skin and fat, then tighten the muscle tissue using not one but many stitches in the deeper tissue within the cheek and then close the incision with stitches,” he says. And, as downtime is typically seven to 10 days for both sets of surgery, clients are seeing working from home as the perfect time for a discreet procedure.
Celebrity client list
Ian Morgan of Soul Care Aesthetics is a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and aesthetic medical/surgical practitioner specialising in procedures including liposuction, upper and lower eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) and face and neck lifts, without the need for general anaesthesia. Ian’s patients include footballers and their wives, celebrity TV stars and film producers.
For more information visit soulcareaestheticsltd.co.uk
