'Zoom boom' sees rise in cosmetic treatment calls

Demand for cosmetic treatment has shot up since lockdown in March, according to those in the industry.

Save Face, which represents practitioners, said there had been a jump in email and web inquiries from Wales.

Phone inquiries for neck and face work have leapt from 500 a year to almost 800 - up 57%.

It's been dubbed the "Zoom boom" in the sector because people are using video calls more for work and socialising.

Catherine Dudley-Bacon decided to get treatment to "feel more confident".

The makeup artist from Cardiff now holds video consultations with her clients because of Covid restrictions.

After spending years in the industry focusing on other people's looks, she said she has become more aware of her own appearance after seeing her face every day on Zoom.

"Sometimes as you get older, your lips thin out so I usually like to have filler in the lips, but I prefer the more natural look for myself and the Botox to smooth out the skin," she said.

"People have lost their confidence, unemployment has risen.

"When you feel you look great, I think it oozes in you as a person and if it makes you feel nice, why not have it done?

"When I've had family quiz nights and I've not got a full face of makeup on you are like 'Woah, ok, I am seeing myself on Zoom' and you feel more confident when you have had that work done."