A celebrity going under the knife is not uncommon, especially in the glamour industry. But when a 40-something marketing professional, Pradeep Vishwas, chose to remove his double chin and under-eye dark circles, it came as a big surprise to everyone he knew.
'Who doesn’t want to look good?" was his instant reply, when questioned about it. But there was more to the story. "Before corona, I used to run around the city in relation to my job, and never had the time to pay attention to my looks. But during the work from home phase in the lockdown, there was enough ‘me’ time to look presentable, especially as I had to attend up to eight-10 video calls in a day," he says.
Like Vishwas, a number of people, especially from Gurugram, South Delhi and West Delhi, are opting for facial procedures. Be it contouring for a slim face and a sharp nose, removal of double chin, wrinkles, under-eye dark circles, acne scars, pigmentation, or correcting the sagging skin and closing large pores.
The procedures, though always in demand, have seen a surge post-lockdown. And there are ample reasons for this. "Roughly, there has been a 200 per cent increase in cosmetic surgeries and facial procedures. As people are seeing themselves all the time on the camera, they are noticing problems with their faces. Plus, working from home gives them ample recovery time," says Dr Rajat Gupta, Cosmetic Surgeon, Rosewalk Hospital, Panchsheel Park.
"We are getting clients in droves," puts in Dr Kiran Sethi Lohia, Integrative Aesthetic and Skin Physician, Isaya Aesthetics, Vasant Vihar, adding, 'Earlier, we had Ayurvedic buttermilk baths and Cleopatra’s beauty rituals. And now we have technology to help."
Dr Lohia observes that since imperfections can be fixed with simple procedures, people are not shying away. "Earlier, teenagers, and women in their 20s and 30s used to do these procedures, but now those in 40s and 50s are also coming, including men as well," she says.
Another dermatologist, Dr Meghna Gupta, has witnessed a 40-50 per cent increase in numbers since December, at her centre. "While those in their 20s want treatments that give facial glow and remove acne, 40 plus people want skin-tightening procedures and removal of under-eye bags. In fact, young adults are also going in for lip fillers, compulsory face masks notwithstanding," she says.
Dr Rajat Gupta also has a philosophical take on it. "Corona has made people realise that things can be so fickle. Rather than spending on materialistic things, they are spending on themselves, investing money in the way they want to look," he says.
Procedures
At present, popular procedures range from a simple micro-dermabrasion or peel (Rs 2,000-3,500) to micro-needling based therapies, laser therapies, combination therapies and so on. The cost can be upwards of Rs 1 lakh. The fact that most procedures are non-invasive has also contributed to the rise in number.
"A lot of male clients come for the Platelet-rich Plasma Therapy that treats hair loss and rejuvenates skin,' says Dr Meghna Gupta. "The procedures are scientific, there is no fear as there is no surgery," says 30-something Jyoti Yadav, who went in for face contouring.
"What is more exciting is that people are looking to change the way they live – from diet to skincare and to lifestyle and adding in medi-facials to prevent ageing. Now they add things like profilho, an anti-ageing hydration treatment that improves surface skin tone, texture and elasticity, for actually reversing the age of the skin," says Dr Lohia.
"Profhilo offers biological activation with multi-level 3D flow-ability naturally rejuvenating and firming the skin without giving it a puffed-up appearance. We have already been receiving several requests and queries about this product from our clients who travel abroad frequently. Although Profhilo is indicated for use for people above 35, younger age groups have also shown interest in it," says Dermatologist Dr Sushant Shetty, Head, Medical Operations & Services, Kaya Ltd.
In a nutshell
A number of people from Gurugram, South Delhi and West Delhi, are opting for facial procedures. Be it contouring for a slim face and a sharp nose, removal of double chin, wrinkles, under-eye dark circles, acne scars, pigmentation, or correcting the sagging skin and closing large pores. These procedures have seen a surge post-lockdown