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Facial Plast Surg 2022; 38(03): 285-292
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1740623
Original Research

Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Interest in Cosmetic Facial Plastic Surgery? A Google Trends Analysis

Lily N. Trinh 
1   Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana
2   Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
,
Rachel Safeek
3   Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky
,
Daniel Herrera
4   Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
,
Amar Gupta 
5   Private Practice, Los Angeles, California
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Abstract

Facial cosmetic surgery trends are evolving in the current climate of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate public interest in elective facial plastic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic including the period of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution using Google Trends. A Google Trends analysis was completed using popular terms related to facial cosmetic surgery and procedures from March 2017 to August 2021. Three stages were identified (baseline, pre-COVID-19 vaccine distribution, and post-COVID-19 vaccine distribution). Descriptive statistics were calculated and two-tailed t-tests were performed between the pre-vaccine and the post-vaccine phases. Linear regression analysis was also performed to determine percent deflection of search terms. There was significantly greater interest in facial aesthetic procedure search terms, except for tear trough filler, during the post-COVID-19 vaccine phase compared with the pre-COVID-19 vaccine phase. There was greater interest in lower facial procedure interest during this phase compared with upper facial procedures (p-value = 0.0011). The search terms with the greatest deflection percentage during the post-vaccine phase were lip filler, brow lift, and lip flip. There continues to be high demands of facial plastic surgery and procedures despite COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

cosmetic - relative search volume - facial plastic surgery - Google Trends


Publication History

Article published online:
04 January 2022

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