March 11th, 2025
Dr. Mulholland, Md
2020 was the year that Zoom emerged as a household name. It was also, sadly, the year when a lot of people saw double chins start to emerge on Zoom calls.
A lot of people have learned how dreadfully unflattering the low angle of a laptop’s webcam can be. If you’re a bit older, or you’ve gained a few pounds, you might have felt like someone let the air out of your face and like the skin was just hanging down. Some people propped their laptops up on books to add height, or went online to buy a proper webcam.
If you have found yourself staring at your own face in the little window on Zoom calls, you are far from alone. In fact, over half of all surveyed people admitted that they look at their own faces more than they like on video calls. Keep in mind, those are only the people who admit to doing it. We would guess the actual number is considerably higher—a lot closer to 100 than 50.
We can safely say that our Toronto Plastic Surgeons Wellness Centre has never been busier. We’re booking a lot of consultations with people who are sick and tired of the way they look on Zoom calls. They’re really starting to feel self-conscious about their double chins, or other facial sagging, and they’re coming to us to find out what can be done.
Here are a few of the procedures we often discuss.
1. Neck Lift (Chin Lift)
A neck lift involves your surgeon making a very small incision under your chin, then surgically removing the unwanted fat and loose skin, and finally tightening the muscles in the chin and neck.
It is a great option for people struggling with:
- A double chin or localized deposits of fat under the chin
- Excess neck skin
- Turkey neck
- Lax muscles in the neck and chin area
Our surgeons have helped to break new ground in the world of neck lift procedures. Their work has been studied and has changed the way neck lifts are performed in clinics worldwide.
We were the first to introduce:
- Melting the fat under the chin with radiofrequency energy devices prior to extraction
- Utilizing laser energy-supported sutures and threads to support neckbands
Many of our clients have said that our procedures have taken a full 10 to 15 years off of their jawlines.
Our clinic also offers mini neck lifts and deep neck lift procedures.
The Mini Neck Lift
Your surgeon will make a small incision to remove vertical neck bands, and they will tighten the skin to give you a smoother and more defined jawline. This procedure is very popular with younger patients who don’t have enough facial fat or sagging skin to want a full neck lift.
Because it is less invasive, it doesn’t produce the same dramatic impact as a full neck lift, but recovery times are typically shorter.
Deep Neck Lift
Your surgeon will not make the typical incisions around the ears that you would see with the more traditional neck lift. Instead, they will make a single incision hidden in the crease below your chin to address the deep muscle and tissue in the neck.
This procedure is aimed at people who need help with loose skin in the neck area but aren’t looking to add more definition to the jaw or cheek area.
Our surgeons have been performing neck lifts in Toronto for over 20 years and have produced truly amazing results.
2. Facelift
If you’re experiencing an overall fatigued and saggy look, you might consider a facelift procedure to tighten things up to restore some vibrancy.
Our clinic offers 3 different types of facelifts:
Mini Facelift
This procedure typically focuses on a patient’s cheeks and jowls. It’s normally combined with facial fat grafting and liposuction techniques to smooth the face, reduce signs of aging, and add a youthful glow.
This is often the go-to procedure for men and women in their 30s and 40s. They may not quite have enough loose skin or unwanted fat to warrant a traditional facelift quite yet. But the mini facelift is enough to help them look younger, more rested, and more energized. If you are interested in a mini facelift for men, Toronto Plastic Surgeons Wellness Centre has you covered.
Mid Facelift
This procedure can give you a more targeted focus than a full facelift, as the mid-facelift specifically targets the signs of aging around the eyes and cheeks.
Your surgeon will skillfully smooth out the middle of your face by tightening the skin to reduce wrinkles and fine lines. They may also raise and elevate the fat pads under your cheeks.
This is a highly focused level of attention you don’t get with a standard facelift. So, if you’re most concerned with your eyes, nose, and cheek areas, this is likely the way to go.
Full Facelift
This can take the form of either:
- Traditional deep plane facelifts
- SMAS facelifts
Deep-plane facelifts involve your surgeon making a deep incision to tighten the muscles beneath your skin. This should only be performed by highly experienced and skilled surgeons. It is a very complex procedure, and it typically requires a longer recovery period.
On the other hand, we consider SMAS facelifts the gold standard of modern facelifts. Your surgeon will focus on a layer of tissue beneath the cheek skin, known as the Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System, to address jowls and deep smile lines.
Our providers are among Canada’s most experienced and in-demand facelift surgeons. They know how to work with your existing features and bone structure to give you a refreshed, natural look—not the overdone or overstretched appearance sometimes seen with overly aggressive celebrity facelifts.
3. Liposuction
The facial procedures we’ve mentioned above all use cutting-edge liposuction techniques to remove unwanted fat from the facial area. But maybe you would like to remove fat deposits on other parts of your body too.
Maybe you have put on The Quarantine 15 and added some unwanted weight during the lockdown. If you have, you’re certainly not alone. A recent survey revealed that nearly a third of surveyed Canadians have gained weight during the COVID crisis, and almost 22% said they gained more than 5 lbs.
Liposuction for men and women can help you remove unwanted pockets of fat in areas such as your:
- Love handles
- Upper arms
- Abdomen
- Hips
- Back
- Face
- Thighs
- Chest
- Lower legs
Our clinic offers leading-edge technology and industry-leading plastic surgeons. This has led to some of the best results and some of the most striking liposuction before and after pictures you are ever going to see.
We currently offer 3 different types of liposuction procedures:
BodyTite™ Lipo (radiofrequency energy)
Releases radiofrequency energy to melt and coagulate the fat while sealing the small blood vessels
You can easily see a 40-50% soft-tissue contraction in a year or less.
SmartLipo™ (laser energy)
The laser energy liquefies your fat and closes off tiny blood vessels. This gives you almost no bruising and an incredibly easy aspiration.
Our patients have routinely seen a 17% reduction in treated skin and a 25% improvement in skin elasticity.
VASERLipo™ (ultrasound energy)
This procedure uses ultrasonic energy to gently vibrate and implode fat cells, allowing them to be removed with a very small, blunt-tipped microcannula.
This is typically the go-to procedure if you’re also planning to get any sort of fat grafting, like a Brazilian Butt Lift, breast augmentation, or facial fat transplantation. The gentle technology ensures that the harvested fat is intact and suitable for use.
4. Non-Surgical Solutions
In many cases, our patients don’t quite have enough facial fat or sagging skin to warrant a full-blown surgical solution. They may see the results they’re looking for with simple and nonsurgical procedures such as:
- CoolSculpting
- SculpSure
- Evolve
- Vanquish
- EMsculpt
- BodyFX
- Vanquish
- Venus Freeze
- Excilis
- VelaShape 3
Those procedures are always in high demand because they deliver remarkable fat reduction in targeted areas with absolutely no pain or downtime. There are also no scars or incisions because this is a non-surgical treatment.
Which one of these procedures is right for you? Well, we find that in most cases, there is no single solution that works great for everyone. Our surgeons have found that the best results come from a combination of two or more different types of procedures.
This is how we ensure you get the best possible outcome: a targeted combination of fat reduction and skin tightening in the treated areas.
The Zoom Boom
As we mentioned earlier, we have been very busy during the pandemic lockdown, and we’re certainly not alone.
The entire plastic surgery industry has actually seen a bit of a boom during these work-from-home days. It has been nicknamed “The Zoom Boom” or “The Zoom Effect” by some in the industry. As funny as the name may be, Zoom is having a very serious impact on the world of plastic surgery.
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) recently released the results from their 2020 member survey, and their findings are pretty much in line with what we’ve seen.
They reported that:
- 70% of the surveyed facial plastic surgeons reported an increase in business during the pandemic
- 90% of those respondents reported an increase of 10% or higher
- 83% attributed their growth in business to The Zoom Effect
Of course, Zoom isn’t the only thing that has caused a record number of people to look up double chin surgery on their laptops and phones.
According to the AAFPRS report, a nearly unanimous 96% said the increase in volume was because “men and women have more time and flexibility to recover from treatments due to social distancing and the benefits of working from home.”
Simply put, people can recover at home while working from home, without having to worry about showing up to the office or using their hard-earned vacation days.
This is definitely something we’ve heard from a few of our clients. We’ve spoken to a number of people who were on the fence about getting a procedure for years, but the ability to recover from home was the impetus they needed to take that final step and book a consultation.
We have also seen a lot of people taking the money that they would have spent on a tropical or overseas vacation and putting it towards the plastic surgery they have always wanted to get. COVID travel restrictions mean that they can’t take the vacation they were looking forward to or go on the honeymoon they were dreaming of.
But the work-from-home world and a bit more disposable income give them a unique opportunity to treat themselves by working on themselves.
Getting Rid of the Double Chin Can Be a Single Phone Call Away
If you’re ready to take a decade off of your appearance in a few hours, we’re ready to make it happen at Toronto Plastic Surgeons Wellness Centre.
We have covered a lot of procedures and options today. If you’re not sure which one will work best for you, that’s OK. We would love to discuss your goals and your options in a one-on-one setting.
The best version of yourself can be just a call or click away! Reach out today and book a consultation!
Dr. Stephen Mulholland, Md
Dr. Stephen Mulholland has been practicing plastic surgery for over 20 years. He is one of Canada’s most renowned and best plastic surgeons in Toronto with his wealth of experience, artistry, and humbleness towards his patients.
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