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The last 18 months have introduced a slew of new words into our vocabularies. COVID-19, pandemic, mask etiquette, and many more. One new word I learned about last week from a public radio news piece has hit many of us smack in the face.
Zoom Dysmorphia is a term that refers to a type of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) known as facial dysmorphia.
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. Seeing themselves on a computer screen is like looking into a funhouse mirror and believing the distorted image reflects reality."
Forward-facing cameras on laptops and phones distort video quality and create an inaccurate representation of true appearance.
Before COVID, people didn't fixate on their features during everyday conversation; those were largely left to the mirror. 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.
The closer people sit to the cameras, the more different their faces look. 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.
An article from the Association of perioperative Registered Nurses featured Dr. Arianne Shadi Kourosh, a board-certified dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Kourosh wrote about Zoom Dysmorphia in the journal Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine.
As 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.
"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.
"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.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), surgeons performed more than 15.5 million cosmetics procedures in 2020 alone.
The Zoom Boom of Rhinoplasty specifically includes (a nose job) was the top cosmetic surgery in 2020, with more than 352,000 surgeries performed. The society also reports that Botox was the most sought injectable treatment with more than 4.4 million procedures performed.
If you're wondering what Zoom Dysmorphia could look like, here are a few of the signs:
◦Anxiety about attending video meetings with your camera on
◦Attempting to look perfect before video calls
◦Focusing on your on-screen appearance and finding flaws
◦Believing that others are focused on your perceived flaws
If you are suffering from Zoom Dysmorphia, there are a few things you can look into that may help you before going under the knife:
•Using a higher-res camera will pick up the positive details of your face and eliminate the "fun house mirror" effect that standard cams have.
•Moving the camera up to eye level or higher to remove the upward chin distortion.
•Good lighting, shadows are not kind, and backlighting can create halos.
•Cover up your grid (the self-view option) or keep your camera on, but put a sticky note directly on your screen, so you don't see yourself on the grid.
•Psychologically, Dr. Kourosh recommends looking in the mirror and telling yourself a positive statement 10 times, two to three times a day. "Oftentimes, I have clients that cry the first couple times they do it," she notes. "It is going to feel forced at first, and then over time it'll get easier... It starts changing the way the brain perceives how you look."
Zoom Dysmorphia is a very real and rapidly growing BDD. These can affect anyone, but those who spend more time in virtual meetings, calls, etc., are more susceptible to yet another unpleasant pandemic side effect.
What anyone chooses to do or not do about BDD is a very personal decision. None of us know how long the Zoom meeting trend will go on or if it's at least partially here to stay, so as with any medical condition, please consult your doctor or medical professional for help and advice.
| Date Taken: | 09.30.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.28.2021 15:35 |
| Story ID: | 412000 |
| Location: | COLUMBUS, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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