The rise of the Zoom call has led to a wave of self-consciousness among the British, a new study has found.
The survey, which polled 1,500 British adults for skin care brand Medovie, revealed that 50% of Brits ‘loathed’ seeing their own face on video calls.
A quarter of those surveyed admitted to avoiding the ubiquitous video call at all costs, while three quarters of those who used Zoom or its competitors confessed they were distracted by their own appearance during calls.
When it came to specific appearance-related worries, 26% said their skin was their biggest concern, while 16% hated how frizzy their hair looked, and 6% worried that their head looked too big on screen.
Other issues people felt were emphasised during screen calls included yellow teeth (20%), wrinkles (18%), eye bags (18%), spotty skin (20%), skin flare ups (8%) and crooked teeth (7%).
A significant 15% had considered making an appointment with a GP or dermatologist to try to remedy a skin complaint, which they felt was laid bare by the call, while 11% had booked a hairdressers appointment as a direct result of clocking their appearance on screen.
In fact, nearly one in three British adults are so self-conscious of how they look they have their camera switched off at all times during video calls.
Nadav Shraibom, Scientific Founder at Medovie, said: “Our research clearly indicates that the upsurge in Zoom calls this year has made plenty of Brits feel self-conscious about their looks.
“In fact a quarter of us are trying to avoid Zoom calls at all costs for this very reason, worrying about how they look from the condition of their skin to their hair and teeth.
“A life on Zoom has meant that skin care has really taken the spotlight during 2020. In fact, we have seen an increase of 50% in the number of people approaching us over the last few months for consultations about their skin concerns.”
