The impact of COVID-19 on the aesthetics industry

COVID-19—whereby a worldwide pandemic, caused by an RNA coronavirus cross-continent infection, led to the global world economy being paralysed in a matter of weeks—has had an impact on the aesthetics industry that few could have predicted, both in its enormity and duration (Jewell et al, 2020). Understandably, public interest in medical aesthetic procedures has declined. The greatest drop has been in cosmetic surgery. Several factors can be attributed to this, not least due to the presence of a highly transmissible infectious disease, but, moreover, on the need for intensive therapy unit (ITU) beds. The latter has led to wide scale cancellations in elective procedures, as the strain on the NHS has been unprecedented.

Many limited analyses have been conducted throughout 2020, with the general consensus showing a far more significant downturn on aesthetic medical practice, as compared to the recession of 2008–2009. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting social distancing policies to lower the infection rate and R-value, together with Government-led policies on self-quarantining, have led to many changes, including within family life, job losses, health-related issues, fears of transmission or death and higher rates of depression and anxiety, as well as taking into consideration altered work practices, changes in spousal relationships and the use of communication platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, which all play a part in the decreased demand for procedures.