TAMPA, Fla. — What medical experts are calling the "Zoom Boom" is characterized by people seeking a different nose, a bigger butt and whatever other personal imperfections that can be altered with surgery. But how do you know who’s qualified, and who’s not?
From liposuction to lip enhancements, award-winning Tampa-based plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen has performed thousands of cosmetic procedures.
These days, she says more calls are coming into the office.
"People want to feel good about themselves, and sometimes that involves plastic surgery," Temmen said. "Our pre-pandemic to post-pandemic business has doubled."
What is the 'Zoom Boom?'
Medical experts are calling it, the "Zoom Boom." Virtual meetings are causing people to look at themselves more than they normally would, and notice things they’d like to improve.
“A lot of them are working from home, they’re doing hybrid work, or they’re not working,” Temmen explained. “So they have more time to plan for and recover from surgeries.”
And facial modifications aren’t the only procedures seeing a boost. Dr. Temmen says she’s had a boost of patients requesting "Brazilian Butt Lifts."
The Brazilian Butt Lift procedure
"The Brazilian Butt Lift is one of the fastest growing plastic surgeries in the United States," she said. "The Brazilian butt lift is liposuction, combined with fat transfer to the buttocks and hips."
The procedure is commonly referred to as a BBL. Dr. Temmen is an expert at performing the procedure, but if it’s done incorrectly or by someone unqualified, it can be dangerous, she warned.
“Bleeding, infection, scarring, deformity, death,” are some of the dangers Dr. Temmen said patients face when getting the procedure performed by someone unqualified.
But risks haven’t stopped the popularity of the surgery.
Risk and reward
Diamond, a dancer in Tampa, met with 10 Tampa Bay at Truth Lounge to talk about her experience with BBLs, and it’s popularity in her industry.
“It’s becoming like, you’re in a room with 10 or 15 girls that are shaped exactly like you,” Diamond said.
Diamond says she got her BBL as a reward to herself. But it doesn’t just work as a confidence boost, it can also be seen as an investment.
“The demand has changed so now everyone has more access to getting it,” she said.
While she says having a “coke bottle” body certainly helps her make more money, she says getting a procedure like a BBL should only be done if it’s something you truly want for yourself, and if you can afford to have it done safely.
“You don’t get a second shot at life, so why risk it,” she said. “You could really be at the hands of like a maniac…if you’re not somebody who’s a go-getter going up to customers and getting that money, you can be all plastic up and not make anything. It helps, it attracts people, but what keeps people is your hustle.”
Choosing the right surgeon
With tens of thousands getting the procedure in the U.S. each year, some are getting it simply to feel better in their own skin.
Wendy Abreu was a patient of Dr. Temmen who says she has had no regrets after her BBL procedure. Abreu encourages people to make sure they’ve done the research to find a surgeon who is properly credentialed, and who makes them feel comfortable.
“I felt heard, I felt understood, and I felt very communicated with,” Abreu said. “Cheaper is definitely not always better, your life is much more important.”
While some people are willing to fly out of the country for a cheaper price, Dr. Temmen says an unusually low price can often be a red flag.
“My average cost here at Temmen Plastic surgery for a Brazilian Butt Lift – the starting price is $9,900,” Dr. Temmen said. “That price is pretty standard for the area.”
She says other things you’ll want to look out for when choosing a surgeon for cosmetic procedures include: making sure they are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, that they are operating in an accredited facility, and that they have admitting privileges in plastic surgery to a nearby hospital.
She also says, that you should simply trust your gut.
“When you meet that surgeon, did you feel safe, did you feel heard?” Temmen said. “Bottom line, if it doesn’t fit into your budget, wait. It will someday.”