After months of face masks fogging up their glasses and contacts drying out from all the extra Zoom meetings while working from home, Americans are fed up and are boosting demand for LASIK surgery which has seen an increase of 35% in recent months. This comes as a response to the changing way of life due to coronavirus and the changes the workplace has undergone as a result.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have cut back on activities like overseas travel and entertainment, and for many that has left funds to be spent elsewhere. A lot of that has been poured into personal improvement and now consumers are shifting to upgrading themselves with procedures like LASIK. This increase in cash which was set aside for activities that were no longer available has led many to invest in surgeries and procedures they had previously put off.
This spike is being driven mainly by younger adults, with the average age of a LASIK patient falling to 34 years old, a seven-year drop from the early 2000s. Online searches in the United States for the procedure peaked in 2004 and had bottomed out earlier this year before spiking when the pandemic hit, according to Google Trends. The industry is now forecast to hit $4.1 billion in sales by 2027, more than doubling 2018’s total.
LASIK’s revival is part of an industrywide boom in elective procedures during the pandemic. Quarantines and social-distancing caused an increase in self-consciousness with constant video conferences and online chats. This has led to spikes in multiple corrective surgeries but none as prominent as LASIK.
People who are working remotely are also more confident to undergo the procedure because they can recover at home. Now you can get these procedures done without anybody you work with knowing about it. Before, it was almost taboo to have to take some time off to get these elective procedures done, but due to work from home that fear is a thing of the past.
LASIK, which uses lasers to reshape the front of the eye and often improves vision to better than 20/20 in most patients, has an advantage over other procedures because it has a minimal recovery period. Following a brief consultation, a patient could have surgery the same day and better vision within a few hours. In many cases the patient can return to their regular routine and work the next day, something unheard of for other procedures with a lengthier recovery period.
The pandemic and its after-effects will continue into 2021 and many of the people working at home today plan to work at home permanently. More Americans, especially young adults, will continue considering LASIK eye surgery. Request an appointment with our team of award-winning doctors today and see how much of a difference a life without glasses and contacts can make for you!