Is It Safe To Have Cosmetic Treatments During The COVID-19 Pandemic?
Now that we are seeing the reopening of some businesses and restarting of elective procedures, many have asked, “Is it safe?” We are dealing with a virus that is not seen and can be spread by asymptomatic carriers, so it can be hard to know how best to stay safe. At Avalon Plastic Surgery, we are getting ready to open our doors for the first time as a business, but we have been working together for many years and through the early pandemic we developed a well thought out set of procedures built on basic medical practice principles: clean surfaces frequently, wear a mask, and wash your hands. These practices have expanded greatly to include cleaning of not only exam rooms between all patients, but also cleaning of common areas, entry door handles, and bathrooms more frequently. We are screening all staff and patients for symptoms and temperature daily. We ask that patients not come in if they have been having any signs or symptoms of illness or if they have been in contact with someone who is ill or has tested positive for COVID-19. We are masked during all patient encounters and ask that all patients come to the office wearing a mask. We are keeping physical distance as much as possible and limiting the number of people in the office at any one time. And yes, we are washing and sanitizing our hands even more than ever!
There has been some controversy over whether it is safe to perform elective services on the lower face during this time. When it comes to providing services that require patients to remove their masks, we are wearing medical grade N95 masks to better protect our staff and patients, and we are limiting the number of staff in the room whenever possible. We are taking these requests on a case by case basis, recognizing that while the risk is higher with these treatments, it is a personal decision based on patient risk factors and comfort level with that risk.
In continuing to pay close attention to these practices, we are doing all we can to keep treatments as safe as possible. Having said that, we also completely understand if you are not comfortable to have some types of treatments done at this uncertain time. There is a lower risk with those procedures that do not require you to remove your mask and take less time, such as toxin (Botox and Dysport) injections, or treatments on the body like Profound for cellulite, Sculptra injections to chest or buttocks, or localized liposuction to problem areas. However, we also recognize that there is an inherent level of risk in having any elective procedure done during a pandemic for which there is not currently a treatment or vaccine.
If you are hesitant to have any of these elective procedures at this time, you can still maintain your appearance and prolong results of previous treatments by practicing good self-care: eat healthy, sleep well, practice regular skin care and sunscreen use, and take a multivitamin with zinc supplement. (Some studies have shown that zinc supplementation can boost the longevity of Botox treatments. It is important, however, to watch total intake as there is some potential for buildup of zinc in your system with very high doses.)
Ultimately, each person should consider their own level of risk and comfort with any kind of exposure, but we would like to reassure you that we are taking every precaution we can to keep your experience as safe as possible, while still offering a comprehensive selection of services. We recognize the inherent risk in resuming any services at all, but feel lucky to be able to offer an environment that minimizes the number of contacts and meets the incredibly high standards of cleanliness and safety required during this pandemic. At the end of the day, there is some risk in everything we do, and we must each decide what our threshold for taking risks is while acting in as responsible and safe a manner as possible. Please contact us directly if you have questions about specific practices, policies, or procedures. Keep washing your hands and stay well!
