Dermatologists have warned of the dangers of spending too long in front of webcams working or socialising in a phenomenon they’ve dubbed ‘Zoom dysmorphia’.

The US doctors say they’ve noted a surge in the numbers of patients seeking cosmetic treatments, citing their appearance on Zoom as the cause.

Patients are particularly concerned with wrinkles and acne, write dermatologist Dr Arianne Shadi Kourosh and co-authors from Massachusetts General Hospital.

“A life disproportionately spent on Zoom may trigger a self-critical comparative response that leads people to rush to their physicians for treatments they may not have considered before months confronting a video screen, a new phenomenon of ‘Zoom Dysmorphia’,” they say in Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine.