Do you wish you could look better on Zoom? Do you suffer from Camera Face or Zoom Neck? These days it’s almost inevitable. One of my colleagues was shocked when he met a well-known TV reporter at a restaurant. On camera, she appeared to have a pudgy “moon face.” He was amazed at how much prettier she was in-person. If an expensive, high-tech television camera can distort a face that much, it’s no surprise that an inexpensive webcam shows off every defect you have.
The Chicago Tribune interviewed several businesspeople for their article on the perils of Zoom Face. Here are some quotes from that article:
- “For Mary, 51, a Chicago Public Schools’ teacher, the ensuing work-from-home protocol meant video conferences with her principal, her fellow teachers and her students. “It was my biggest nightmare,” she says. “Just the thought of it made my stomach hurt.”
- .
- “Mary C. says she is highly critical of her looks in comparison to others. “Sometimes I can’t even concentrate on the meeting,” she says. “I look at each person and say, ‘I wish I could look like them.’”
If you’ve got some facial aging, video conferencing can make it appear worse than it does in person. Here are some of the looks your computer’s webcam can give you:
- The Aged Look: Emphasizing your jowls or turkey neck
- The Tired Look: Making bags under your eyes look big enough to pack for an overnight trip
- The Sad Look: Marionette lines under your mouth, making you appear to pout or frown
If you’d like to get rid of your Camera Face and look better on Zoom, there are some definite things you can do. Small issues can sometimes be fixed temporarily with Botox or Fillers. But what if you have real facial aging that the camera has turned into a “need to fix now” priority? Here’s what an experienced board-certified facial plastic surgeon can do:
Eliminate jowls to combat Camera Face and “The Aged Look”
If you want to look better on Zoom and your problem is jowls, the best way to improve your appearance may depend on your age. As I explained in “Getting Rid of Your Jowls at Any Age,” if you’re in your 30s and 40s, it may be possible to improve your looks with fillers. Most young faces are triangular, from cheekbones to chin. As you get older, you can lose volume in your mid-face. That can cause your skin to sag, producing jowls and marionette lines. Replacing that volume with fillers can help.
It’s a different situation in your 50s. Because of widespread age discrimination, looking old or tired can put your job at risk. You need to rejuvenate your face ASAP. Noninvasive treatments like Renuvion can do a great job at tightening loose skin but have a longer downtime. If you’re often on webcams, you’ve got no time to lose.
I’d recommend a lower facelift. You’ll look years younger in just 10 days. After numbing the area, your surgeon will make small, easily hidden incisions in front of and behind your ears. They’ll firm up sagging muscles and tighten loose skin. That will eliminate or substantially improve your jowls, any marionette lines, and your nasolabial folds (smile lines).
If you follow instructions during recovery, you can look years younger in 7-10 days. Imagine your pleasure and your coworkers’ surprise when you look better on Zoom than you might have imagined.
Eliminate Turkey Neck to look better on Zoom
Webcams seem to be particularly adept at revealing your turkey neck. It may be the way the shadows fall. But many find that any hint of neck aging shows right up onscreen at a video conference. What’s the best way to eliminate it?
If you’re young and your skin is healthy, a nonsurgical treatment like Renuvion can work well in tightening skin. But results will vary from person to person. The quickest and most reliable treatment is a neck lift.
A surgical neck lift will eliminate both a turkey neck and V-shaped banding. Your surgeon will make small, hard-to-see incisions in front of and behind each ear, as well as one under your chin. They’ll liquify and draw out any excess fat under the skin. Then, they’ll tighten your platysma muscles that can cause V-shaped banding. Finally, your surgeon will remove any excess skin. After just 7-10 days of downtime, you’ll have a neck that will really look better on Zoom.
Get rid of bags under your eyes and “The Tired Look”
When people see you in person or on Zoom, they often look at your eyes. Your eyelids have the thinnest skin on your face. Facial aging often shows up first around your eyes. Bags under your eyes makes it look like you need sleep. Drooping upper eyelids make you look tired and old. Looking old and tired isn’t a good image to present at work. Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, can make your eyes look a lot younger. Your surgeon can:
- Rejuvenate drooping upper eyelids by removing excess skin
- Remove or reduce bags and puffiness under your eyes
- Eliminate the tired, sad, or angry look aging eyelids produce even when you feel fine
Why act now to look better on Zoom?
As we discussed in “The Facelift Price – Is it a Good Economic Investment?,” years of research by economists show that how you look has a direct connection to your income. In fact, Forbes magazine warned:
Unsurprisingly, the beauty bias transfers into the workplace, with scientific studies showing that less attractive individuals are more likely to get fired, even though they are also less likely to be hired in the first place.
Clearly, taking steps now to improve your appearance just makes sense. Consider some facts:
- Attractive workers are more likely to get hired, get raises, and get promoted
- Attractive workers are more likely to keep their jobs
- Webcams often magnify your facial flaws
- Extensive research shows older or less-attractive workers are less likely to get raises and promotions
Now that you have to attend so many meetings on video, why let a webcam make you look old, sad, and tired? Doesn’t it make sense to take action now to look better on Zoom?
