'That's when we realized the impact video calls were having on the increased demand among our patients was part of a broader trend,' she added.Īccording to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), surgeons performed more than 15.5 million cosmetics procedures in 2020 alone. 'Half of the 130 respondents said consults had increased, and 85 percent of the respondents cited video conferencing as at least one reason patients were interested in having work done,' Kourosh said. Kourosh wrote about Zoom Dysmorphia in the journal Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine.Īs part of the Women's Dermatology Society (the organization also includes male providers), Kourosh helped survey members about the number of cosmetic surgery consultations they had scheduled throughout 2020. Arianne Shadi Kourosh, a board-certified dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. For example, research has shown that cameras positioned 12 inches away from the face instead of five feet increase perceived nose size by 30 percent.Īn article from the Association of perioperative Registered Nurses featured Dr.

The closer people sit to the cameras, the more different their faces look. However, people are much more aware of their features while speaking in real-time, down to every facial expression they make in our virtual reality. Seeing themselves on a computer screen is like looking into a funhouse mirror and believing the distorted image reflects reality.'įorward-facing cameras on laptops and phones distort video quality and create an inaccurate representation of true appearance.īefore COVID, people didn't fixate on their features during everyday conversation those were largely left to the mirror. Psychology today tells us that 'those who suffer from this condition scrutinize their noses, skin, teeth, ears and other aspects of their faces, fixating on what they think needs to change and avoiding social interactions. Zoom Dysmorphia is a term that refers to a type of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) known as facial dysmorphia. One new word I learned about last week from a public radio news piece has hit many of us smack in the face.

COVID-19, pandemic, mask etiquette, and many more. The last 18 months have introduced a slew of new words into our vocabularies.

What is zoom dysmorphia