After many hours of self-scrutiny over lockdown, especially during time spent on video-conferencing calls, many people have sought out aesthetic procedures for the first time. Consequently, the market is buoyant, and cosmetic surgeons have seen a boom in requests for Botox, fillers and chemical peels. Even in the midst of the pandemic in summer 2020, the Cadogan Clinic in London saw a 48% cumulative increase in surgical procedures undertaken compared with the previous year (Imam et al, 2021).

The trend for cosmetic enhancement, especially around the eyes, shows no sign of slowing as many of us continue to wear surgical face masks which only reveal our eye area. 

This may partly explain the recent surge in popularity for the cosmetic eye procedure called the “fox-eye”, “cat-eye” or “designer-eye” lift. Here, dissolvable thread, with a series of hooks, is placed under the skin of the outer brow to lift and tighten the skin to form an almond-shaped brow and eyelid.