Ready for your video call closeup? Simple ways to look and feel confident
May 27, 2020
These days we're seeing a lot more of one person: ourselves.
Videoconferencing has become a primary mode of communication during this era of physical distancing, remote work, and virtual visits with family and friends. That means a lot of people have been taking a good hard look in the webcam – and not everyone loves what they see.
In fact, all this self-examination is driving an increased interest in cosmetic surgery and nonsurgical procedures to help us look younger and well-rested. Both men and women are calling our plastic surgery office in Frisco saying that they can't help scrutinizing their appearance during video calls. They're looking for options to fix smile lines, forehead wrinkles, tired-looking eyes, and double chins.
While lighting and makeup tricks can help improve the way you look in photos, these might not be enough to make you like what you see in the little box on video calls. Fortunately, there are many options that can help you look younger and feel more confident on video. Simple procedures focused on the eyes, lips, and neck can give you a refreshed look over the webcam – and in person.
At UT Southwestern’s new medical center in Frisco, we'll give you a personalized preview of your new look using the VECTRA 3D imaging. This state-of-the-art technology uses six cameras to take your picture and create a 3D image that we can modify to show you how you can look.
Botox and fillers for the forehead, eyes, and mouth
Injectables such as Botox® (botulinum toxin) and fillers can make you look years younger. Botulinum toxin and similar products such as Dysport® are noninvasive options to reduce, soften, and smooth moderate to severe facial lines and wrinkles. These options relax the muscles that create frown lines and crow’s feet, as well as lift the eyebrows and open up the eyelids.
Botox treatments take 15 minutes in the office. You can return to work and normal activities immediately. You should notice a smoother look in a few days, and the results last three to six months.
Fillers such as Restylane® and Juvederm® smooth deeper facial lines and wrinkles that show up when your face is at rest. Others, such as VOLUMA® and Restylane® Defyne add volume to the cheeks and create a youthful jawline.
Hyaluronic acid is the skin’s natural plumper, giving it a youthful fullness and firmness. With age, we lose hyaluronic acid and the skin becomes loose. Fillers restore a natural look, smooth our smile lines, raise sagging cheeks, and define the jawline.
These procedures take approximately 30 minutes in the office using local or topical anesthesia. You might have mild bruising and swelling for a day or two after the treatment. You should see a more youthful look immediately, and the results typically last up to one year.
Related reading: Look and feel young again with nonsurgical facial rejuvenation
'One common concern friends and patients have shared is that they look tired during video calls. This isn’t a minor worry – many companies have announced plans to shift to working remotely, and many job interviews are now conducted via video conference.'
Eyes: Getting a refreshed look
One common concern friends and patients have shared is that they “look tired” during video calls. This isn’t a minor worry – many companies have announced plans to shift to working remotely, and many job interviews are now conducted via video conference.
Concentrating on the screen will cause you to squint, making your eyes look older and smaller. As we age, our eyelid skin becomes thinner and weaker. The upper eyelids become hooded and our lower eyelids sag, making us look worn out, sad, or angry.
Botox is a nonsurgical way to "lift" the brows and eyes, creating a refreshed and youthful look. Rather than moving or removing tissue, botulinum toxin smooths and softens the appearance of sagging or wrinkled skin.
Blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure that rejuvenates the upper and lower eyelids. We make small incisions within the creases of your upper eyelid and along the lash line of your lower eyelid. Then, we remove excess skin and fat to restore your eyes' bright, youthful appearance.
The procedure is relatively simple and avoids creating a "surprised" look (see before and after pictures). When needed, we can perform a brow lift at the same time. We’ll place a small, absorbable plate under the eyebrows through the tiny eyelid incision. The result? A youthful brow with no additional scarring.
We perform blepharoplasty and brow lifts in the operating room using general anesthesia. Procedures take just a few hours, and you can go home the same day with very little discomfort. You should be able to return to work and regular activities in approximately one week.
Although there is no substitute for what surgery can do to refresh the area around the eyes, we offer proven products that can provide temporary relief for puffiness.
Coming home to Frisco
Many of the physicians at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Frisco live in the area, and they are excited about the opportunity to bring UTSW's brand of innovative patient care home to their neighbors.
Lips: Adding contour and fullness
Many women worry that they have “lost their lips” with age. As we get older, our facial skin gets thinner and stretches. Our teeth become shorter and our jawbone resorbs. These changes make the space between the nose and the pink part of the lip longer.
Fillers can return your youthful look. These products help contour and add fullness to the lips. A lip lift procedure might also be an option for some patients.
Neck and chin: Tightening your profile
During video chats, you may find yourself scrutinizing a double chin. Angling your head or your camera might work short term, but it's uncomfortable and if you move, the sagging skin returns.
We offer multiple options to rejuvenate this area, ranging from noninvasive to surgical. They include:
- Profound: A nonsurgical option, Profound can reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles through a combination of microneedles and radiofrequency energy.
- Ulthera: Using microfocused ultrasound, this noninvasive procedure lifts the brow, chin, and neck, improving wrinkles and lines on the neck and upper chest.
- Necklaze: We are one of the only centers in the region that provides this minimally invasive option, which is a very effective way to improve your profile. We use a laser to melt the fat and tighten the skin under the chin and neck. The procedure is done under local anesthesia in the office. Afterward, you will have a new jawline and recover in just a couple days.
- Neck liposuction: We remove excess fat under the chin and around the neck to produce a more defined jawline.
- Neck lift: A neck lift is the most effective procedure if you have a lot of loose skin on your neck. We will make hidden incisions within the skin creases around the ear and tighten the central neck muscles, removing excess skin and fat. Within a couple of weeks, you will see a smoother, younger look.
If you are considering a surgical or nonsurgical option to rejuvenate your look, it's important to visit with a board-certified plastic surgeon, such as myself and my colleagues in Frisco. We will help you determine the safest and most effective options to achieve your goals.
The way you see yourself affects how you participate in online activities, personally and professionally. In this new video normal, you don’t have to be uncomfortable in conferences or join with audio only.
Our clinic in Frisco is staffed by plastic surgeons with a wide range of expertise, and our nurses and staff are all dedicated to helping you look and feel your best. We also offer teleconference consultations so we can meet in that little video box and help you get started.
