In The Age Of "Zoom Dysmorphia," Experts Offer Tips To Improve Self-Image

As I hop on a call with psychotherapist Annette Nunez, M.S., Ph.D., she immediately reveals her own qualms with virtual meetings: "[On video calls] I'm like, 'Wow my skin is sagging!'" she says. We laugh—somewhat relieved that we're speaking on the phone, perhaps—and I'm reminded of how many times my own eyes have slid over to my tiny, pixelated square, fixated on a bout of hormonal acne strung along my jaw or how much I really need a brow tint.

We're certainly not alone: In a new normal where most interactions occur on a virtual, two-dimensional plane, scrutinizing one's appearance seems to be all the rage. Terms like "acne" and "hair loss" have skyrocketed to the top of Google search trends, mostly due to the aftermath of pandemic stress, but a peer-reviewed article in the journal Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine proposes that people are also hypercritical of their appearance during this time—as their so-called faults are splayed on-screen. 

There are a few reasons your eyes tend to meet your own on the grid: As licensed clinical social worker and certified cognitive therapist Alyssa "Lia" Mancao, LCSW, reminds me, we live in society that's hyper-focused on physical appearance. "We internalize those messages, so we're going to hyper-focus on ourselves when we're on Zoom calls," she says. We also have this fixation with wanting to "see what other people are seeing" as we chat. "We tend to believe that other people care about how we look, when really it's only us that cares how we're coming off." 

In society B.C. (before COVID), we weren't privy to our own features during everyday conversations—we were simply chatting it up with others (mask-free, no less!) and going on our merry way. That's not to say self-scrutiny didn't exist at all, but the criticism was largely left to the mirror. Now in a virtual reality, you're so much more aware of your own features while you're speaking in real time, down to every facial expression you make.

This, notes the journal article, can not only sabotage mental health but can also "[lead] people to rush to their physicians for treatments they may not have considered before months confronting a video screen, a new phenomenon of 'Zoom Dysmorphia.'" Board-certified dermatologist Jeanine Downie, M.D., tells me she's certainly seen an uptick in requests for in-office procedures. She even discussed the very topic on the Today Show, revealing an increase in patients' concerns over frown lines, dark spots, wrinkles, and acne. 

But here's the thing about "Zoom Dysmorphia": What you see on-camera is oftentimes a distorted version of yourself (hence, dysmorphia). "The lighting, the angle of the camera, and the pixelation really does give you dysmorphia of what you actually look like," notes Nunez. Essentially, the webcam doesn't do you justice. In fact, research shows that snapshots captured with shorter focal lengths (like, on video calls), can make faces look more rounded, with facial traits closer to the camera perceived seemingly larger2. 

Of course, this isn't to say you shouldn't care for your appearance, on Zoom or otherwise. It's not vain or superficial—for some, getting dolled up helps facilitate some semblance of control in an otherwise turbulent time. It's when feelings of anxiety start creeping up that you might want to take a deeper dive: If you feel sick to your stomach before popping on a video call, or you feel rather depressed about your appearance after hopping off, Nunez notes there may be an underlying issue here.