Several months of living life through a camera lens, staring at Zoom and down at our devices, led to a substantial upswing in demand for non-invasive procedures like Botox and filler last year. Botox was the most popular cosmetic treatment of 2020, followed by soft tissue fillers. Now, post-vaccinations, there’s a special kind of interest from Americans who want to address the stress on their faces from this past year of lockdown and give their appearance a well-deserved boost, as we make our debut in mainstream society again.
For cosmetic dermatologists and plastic surgeons, there is usually a peak in demand for services like Botox and filler right before Christmas and the New Year. But since the onset of the pandemic, and when services opened up again last June, there has been a consistent stream of people wanting Botox – with a new sense of urgency and a curiosity to explore other cosmetic treatments, too.
At SMD, we’re seeing 30% more cosmetic patients this summer who are primarily interested in injectables like Botox. While the forehead, glabella (area between the eyebrows), and eye area are popular areas for Botox, post-Covid there is a greater desire to address areas around the mouth – like the upper lip “smoker/ bar code lines,” the depressor anguli oris (a facial muscle associated with frowning and the downturn of the mouth corners), or the chin and it’s occasional “Peau d’orange” texture (mentalis muscle). Perhaps it’s the anticipation of taking masks off that has everyone wanting to perfect the mouth area! Crepey necks and “necklace lines” are also a concern, which are exacerbated by tech-neck – the head down posture taken when looking at our smartphone. (For the best board-certified dermatology tips on how to improve your neck, refer to our November Beauty Brainiac blog post here.)
Dr. Ashley Smith says, “The Botox boom is primarily fueled by people wanting to take care of themselves after a year of enduring the challenges of quarantine and taking care of their family, household, or business. Many of the patients I see want to do a little something extra as a pick-me-up and Botox is their first step to getting other cosmetic procedures done. Every quarter, I host a beauty clinic at Skin Lounge in Healdsburg to offer a day of Botox treatments to new or existing patients; this past month, I was there for two days because of the demand.”
To meet the rising demand of Botox and offer the best possible experience for patients, SMD has implemented “Beauty Botox Day.” The goal is to offer patients Botox through quick, 15 minute appointments, without a comprehensive consultation. Having a dedicated day for this cosmetic treatment allows our board-certified dermatologists to be the most efficient with their time, and each one can see up to 30 people in one day.
Will the demand for cosmetic treatments like Botox return to level seen pre-pandemic? “It’s hard to say, as Covid-19 has arguably cemented the importance of being seen positively – even if it’s through a computer screen. It’s a fundamental part of our mental health,” says Dr. Shala Fardin.
Written by Maya
Reviewed by Ashley Smith, MD