What Zoom Fatigue Is Really Doing To Your Face

You thought there was nothing else you could possibly know about Zoom fatigue — but you're wrong.

If, like so many people of late, your eyes have been glued to a computer screen, tablet, or smartphone on a regular basis, you've likely experienced this wearying phenomenon. Whether you've been meeting colleagues and friends on the eponymous Zoom platform or any of the other video conferencing platforms, the adverse physiological effects are the same after constant use: Your mind feels fuzzy. Your body has lower energy. You feel, well, Zoomed-out. (via Stanford News).

And it's not only your physical body that's suffering — it's your mental state, too. If you find that you have difficulty concentrating, that you're barking at colleagues, or having trouble sleeping, these are all signs that Zooming is looming over your life (via Healthline).

And if you've looked in the mirror lately, you're probably noticing that this accumulation of Zoom fatigue symptoms isn't only making you feel exhausted — it's making you look exhausted, too. This has become such a common problem, it's earned its own diagnosis — "Zoom face."

It's not all Zoom and gloom

"Zoom face is the combination of lockdown and an overload of Zoom calls," Devon Nagelberg, co-founder of the medical spa, JECT, says (via Forbes). However there are a number of ways to combat how your face looks through cosmetic treatments or more holistic methods.

"Cosmetic injectables like wrinkle reducers and dermal fillers are a great place to start," Nagelberg's partner, Gabby Garritano, a board-certified physician assistant says. The beauty duo also suggests other options, such as peels, wrinkle-reducers, and injectables.

However, if you're looking for less invasive methods, why not give face yoga a try? That's right, face yoga. There are a number of exercises you can do that experts recommend where you can target various muscles and help to keep your skin firm. These include exercises that focus on the eyes that address crow's feet and the sensitive muscles under the eyes that need attention. There are also exercises you can do to firm up the skin at your jawline and chin (via Well + Good).

Whether you choose a cosmetic or a more natural option, in both cases, be sure to maintain consistency if you hope to see results.