As the colder-weather seasons settle in, Short Hills, NJ facial plastic surgeon Alexander Ovchinsky, MD has experienced nothing but an increased interest in all-things aesthetics at his practice. While many may credit it to the oft discussed “Zoom Boom,” he pegs a few other, very interesting, specific sources:
What has the year brought your practice in terms of popular surgeries?
“This year brought a universal rise in popularity for all surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic treatments. There have been various explanations as to the cause of this phenomenon: Patients can allow for more downtime while working from home, wearing a mask helps camouflage signs of recent procedure or surgery, the decrease in leisurely activities (dining out, travel, etc.) might have led to the increase in expendable income. And, of course, the so-called “Zoom Effect”—looking at one’s face all the time while working or socializing brings out things that potentially need improvement. It seems that the Zoom Effect was most likely the main reason for such a significant increase in popularity of facial surgery, in particular.”
Have you seen an influx of new patients this year and is there anything specific they might come in for (or, likewise, a reason they come in)?
“Compared to last year, we have seen an increase in new patients month-over-month. It also seems that patients now are more open to traveling longer distances for surgeries. We have been extremely grateful to be helping people from all-over the country—and a large majority of these patients are coming in to our practice for rhinoplasty consultations. As a facial plastic surgeon with nearly 20 years of experience, I’ve come across numerous different nasal anatomies and have been able to achieve successful results. Our patients’ experiences and surgical results posted on our website and social media speak for themselves, and I believe this is what caused the increased influx of new patients into our practice.”
When a celebrity, like Marc Jacobs, is vocal about having surgery, do you typically see a rise in patients asking you for that specific surgery?
“Yes, definitely. Because the social media world is so visual and viral, I will often get patients who want the Kylie Jenner lips or the Bella Hadid nose. Who knows, maybe in the future I’ll get patients wanting Marc Jacobs’ facelift! My colleague, Dr. Jacono, who operated on him, did a phenomenal job—so I wouldn’t be surprised.”
