NewsWire: 12/19/2020
- Plastic surgery is up during the pandemic, with many potential patients taking advantage of their time away from the office. With workplaces closed and no in-person events to attend, it’s never been a better time to go under the knife. (The Washington Post)
- NH: Plastic surgeons across the US are reporting a boom in business. The Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center in Cincinnati is reporting a 90% YoY increase in filler and Botox appointments. New York surgeon Dr. Tracey Pfeifer announced that her practice saw a 25% YoY increase in plastic surgeries this summer. And while the American Society of Plastic Surgeons won’t release a full report until 2021, they have signaled that preliminary data show similar spikes in procedures.
- So why are so many going under the knife? The answer is simple: time. With the pandemic raging, people have more time than ever for elective procedures. Additionally, they have ample downtime to recover and recuperate. Plastic surgery can cause swelling and bruising up to three months after the initial operation. With people stuck at home, you can have a procedure, and no one will see the after-effects.
- Ironically, plastic surgery is up at the same time that people are breaking out their sweatpants and putting away their lipstick. The difference is that once the pandemic is over, people will immediately be able to buy makeup and clothing. Plastic surgery, on the other hand, needs to be planned and takes time. I'm sure once the pandemic is over, people will be buying new clothes and makeup to accompany their new features.
DID YOU KNOW?
- The Last Mall Brand Standing. The pandemic has forced many mall chain stores to declare bankruptcy. But there’s one mall stalwart that’s thriving: Bath & Body Works. The 30-year-old retailer has done brisk business during the pandemic. In Q3 2020, sales at Bath & Body Works soared 55% to $1.7 billion. This is despite the fact that its stores were closed for weeks due to Covid-19 safety guidelines. Bath & Body Works has long defied the woes befalling its fellow retailers: As of January 2020, the company had reported 40 straight quarters of sales growth. Analysts credit Bath & Body Works’s success to the fact that it doesn’t really have any direct competitors, and to its strategy of offering small, affordable indulgences that appeal to people of all ages. And it doesn’t hurt that its products—think candles, lotions, hand sanitizers, and soaps—happen to be just what housebound consumers who are newly focused on hygiene are looking for.
