Current survey
Trends in beauty interventions: How Corona changes the need for beauty
In times of Corona, many people can be treated against wrinkles with botox and hyaluronic acid
© Nastasic / Getty Images
The pandemic has an impact on Germans’ sense of beauty, shows a current survey by the German Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. One area in particular comes into focus.
Wrinkles on the forehead, narrow lips or tired eyes: supposed blemishes can be remedied with minor or major interventions. A statistic of the German Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (DGÄPC) shows which treatments are currently particularly popular and how strong the influence of the corona pandemic is on trends in the beauty sector. The DGÄPC statistics are published annually and are the largest nationwide survey of patients in the field of aesthetic plastic surgery.
The focus is on the eyes
As the survey shows, the demand for cosmetic surgery on the face has continued to rise: This year’s list of the most frequently performed procedures is headed by Botox treatments (33.5 percent), followed by wrinkle injections with so-called fillers (32.1 percent) and upper eyelid lifts (8.2 percent). “In 2021, the eye area will be of great importance in addition to wrinkle treatment,” write the DGÄPC surgeons in the current report. “Due to the current mask requirement, the eye area is in the focus of attention.”
The ten most frequently performed interventions in 2021
Botulinum treatment (botox) | 33.5 percent |
Wrinkle injection (filler, hyaluronic acid) | 32.1 percent |
Upper eyelid lift | 8.2 percent |
Breast augmentation (implant) | 7.7 percent |
Liposuction | 6.5 percent |
Intimate correction | 4.7 percent |
Breast lift | 3.9 percent |
Lip correction | 3.9 percent |
Breast reduction | 3.8 percent |
Rhinoplasty | 2.5 percent |
The use of video conferencing has also meant that some people are particularly critical of their own appearance: “The recording quality of these programs is more negative than the mirror image,” said Jörg Blesse, DGÄPC conference president at the presentation of the new statistics.
In the survey conducted in 2018/2019 before the start of the pandemic, wrinkle injections, breast augmentation and liposuction led the DGÄPC ranking. The upper eyelid lift was the fourth most common procedure.
Beauty procedures also involve risks
Treatments with botox and hyaluronic acid are so-called minimally invasive interventions – they are considered to be particularly low-risk among laypeople. If used incorrectly, however, they can have significant side effects: if hyaluronic acid is accidentally injected into a vessel, the affected patients can go blind. The improper use of Botox can temporarily result in a hanging eyebrow or a raised eyebrow. There is also the risk of possible inflammation or abscesses due to a lack of disinfection. Experts therefore urgently advise only having the injections carried out by qualified doctors. Anyone who goes under the knife for their own beauty must also be informed about the risks of anesthesia and complications such as bleeding, pain and inflammation.
Some people also see the corona pandemic as an opportunity to have interventions implemented without the social environment noticing anything. Swelling and redness are more likely to hide in times of social distancing, home office and the need to wear a mask. This is a relevant point for 15.4 percent of the patients surveyed. However, the vast majority of those surveyed (56 percent) said they had planned for a long time to have an operation carried out. The pandemic therefore has no influence on your decision.
This is entirely in the spirit of the DGÄPC experts, who advise not to be too misled by the possible relief and influences of the corona pandemic: “An aesthetic-plastic treatment should not be a spontaneous decision, but should be carefully considered”, so the recommendation.
Source: DGÄPC statistics 2020/2021