Abstract:
Throughout human history, the appearance of the body has affected the way people perceive themselves and the way they are perceived. Consequently, people have developed ways of changing it to conform to societal standards of beauty. Medical advancements and progress in aesthetic medicine have made beauty more accessible. In modern society, people increasingly think of the body as a “project and process,” making it a long-term investment in social status. Various studies on the relationship between individuals’ personal social status and external appearance have shown the two to be tightly interconnected. The outbreak of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic triggered the widespread use of online meeting platforms, e.g., Zoom, Skype, Teams, etc. This has brought about the “Zoom effect,” individuals’ stronger awareness of their looks, which has raised more interest in aesthetic treatments. Researchers emphasize the positive effect of aesthetic treatments in lifting moods and improving depression. This paper discusses socially-motivated behavior and the effect of individuals’ external appearance on their social status.
Keywords:
sociology of the body; aesthetic medicine; lifestyle; aesthetics treatments.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33788/rcis.86.13
How to cite:
Nixon, S., Cojocaru, S. (2024). The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Aesthetic Procedures. Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala, 86, 167-181, DOI: 10.33788/rcis.86.13
References
Aktas, E.H., Balci, U.D., & Karacaoglu, E. (2023). COVID Pandemic Aftermath: Changing Dynamics on Cosmetic and Aesthetic Surgery Demands. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 1-8, DOI: 10.1007/s00266-022-03231-9.
Aryanian, Z., Ehsani, A., Razavi, Z., Hamzelou, S., Mohseni Afshar, Z., & Hatami, P. (2022). The COVID‐19 pandemic and its impact on esthetic dermatology. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 21(12), 6557-6561, DOI: 10.1111/jocd.15386.
Atiyeh, B.S., Chahine, F., & Abou Ghanem, O. (2021). Social media and plastic surgery practice building: a thin line between efficient marketing, professionalism, and ethics. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 45(3), 1310-132, DOI: 10.1007/s00266- 020-01961-2.
Baksi, A. (2021). Examination of Nursing Students’ acceptance Levels for Aesthetic Surgery and Affecting Factors. International Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, 6(1), 60-72, DOI: 10.33457/ijhsrp.862899.
Chen, J., Chow, A., Fadavi, D., Long, C., Sun, A. H., Cooney, C. M., & Broderick, K. P. (2021). The zoom boom: how video calling impacts attitudes towards aesthetic surgery in the COVID-19 era. Aesthetic Surgery Journal , 41(12), NP2086-NP2093, DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjab274.
Dean, N.R., Foley, K., & Ward, P. (2018). Defining cosmetic surgery. Australasian Journal of Plastic Surgery, 1(1), 37-45.
Dhanda, A.K., Leverant, E., Leshchuk, K., & Paskhover, B.A. (2020). Google Trends analysis of facial plastic surgery interest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 44(4), 1378-1380, DOI: 10.1007/s00266-020-01903-y.
Dipaola, D., Triscio, V., Bosco, E.F., Ferraris, M., & Gandino, G. (2019). A study on narcissism: a comparison between the overt and covert typologies using the Thematic Apperception Test. Minerva Psichiatrica, 60(1), 17-23,DOI: 10.23736/S0391 -1772.19.01996-4.
Foucault, M. (1979). Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Penguin: New York, United States.
Gelidan, A. G., Mrad, M. A., Kattan, A. E., Kattan, W. E., AlEnazi, T. H., Bakraa, R. M., & Barry, M.A. (2020). The public’s awareness and willingness to undergo plastic surgery procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, 8(9), e3170, DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000003170.
Goffman, E. (1961). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates. Aldine Transaction: Piscataway, NJ, United States.
Hammond, J.B., Armstrong, V.L., McMullen, K., Bernard, R.W., & Teven, C.M. (2021). Aesthetic surgery research funding: where does it come from and to whom does it go? Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 41(12), 1473-1480, DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjaa335.
Lem, M., Pham, J.T., Kim, J.K., & Tang, C.J. (2022). Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nonsurgical Cosmetic Procedure Interest. The American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery, DOI: 10.1177/07488068221141168.
Melfa, F., Bovani, B., Cirillo, P., Clemmentoni, M. T., & Gennai, A. (2020). Attitudes, Concerns, and Expectations of Consumers of Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery. Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum, 2(4), 1-8, DOI: 10.1093/asjof/ojaa037.
Musatova, Z., Tsvetkova, A., & Musatov B. (2020). Trends of the Youth Audience’s Behavior in Aesthetic Medicine. The 14th International Days of Statistics and Economics, Prague, September 10-12, pp. 729-738.
Nischwitz, S.P., Jung, J., Luze, H., Popp, D., Zrim, R., Rappl, T., & Spendel, S. (2023). The perception of plastic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic-an analysis of online search patterns on a medical information platform. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 1-7.
Padley, R.H., & Di Pace, B. (2021). The psychological impact of remote communication on body-image perception: Cosmetic surgery on the rise. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 1-3, DOI: 10.1007/s00266-021-02554-3.
Paoli, B., & Procacci, M. (2019). Motivation and expectations of aesthetic patients. Minerva Psichiatrica 60(4), 180-90, DOI: 10.23736/S0391-1772.19.02035-1.
Rice, S.M., Siegel, J.A., Libby, T., Graber, E., & Kourosh, A.S. (2021). Zooming into cosmetic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic: the provider’s perspective. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology, 7(2), 213-216, DOI: 10.1016/ j.ijwd.2021.01.012.
Sarwer, D.B., Magee, L., & Clark, V. (2003). Physical appearance and cosmetic medical treatments: physiological and socio‐cultural influences. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2(1), 29-39, DOI: 10.1111/j.1473-2130.2003.00003.x.
Sharma, G. K., & Asaria, J. (2021). The impact of covid-19 on patient interest in facial plastic surgery. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, 9(10), e3890, DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000003890.
Thawanyarat, K., Francis, S., Kim, T., Arquette, C., Morrison, S., & Nazerali, R. (2022). The zoom effect: a google trends analysis. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 42(1), NP76-NP82, DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjab347.
Třebický, V., Fialová, J., Kleisner, K., & & Havlíček, J. (2016). Focal length affects depicted shape and perception of facial images. PLoS One, 11(2), e0149313, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149313.
Ward, B., Ward, M., Fried, O., & Paskhover, B. (2018). Nasal distortion in short-distance photographs: the selfie effect. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 20(4), 333-335, DOI: 10.1001/jamafacial.2018.0009.
Wieczorkowska, M. (2018). Ethical dilemmas of aesthetic medicine: Between restorative medicine and the commercialization of the body. Annales. Etyka w Życiu Gospodarczym, 21(5), 95-107.
Williams, C. (2007). Research methods. Journal of Business & Economics Research, 5(3), 65-72.
Wojtara, M. (1979). The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Media Usage and Body Image Perceptions in Young Adults. Undergraduate Journal of Public Health, 6, DOI: 10.3998/ujph.2321.
Yoon, S., & Kim, Y.A. (2020). Cosmetic surgery and self-esteem in South Korea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 44(1), 229-238, DOI: 10.1007/s00266-019-01515-1.
Zawodny, P., Kulig, P.Z., Sienko, J. Aesthetic medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. How should we proceed in times of uncertainty? Pomeranian Journal 2021, 67(1), 42-43.