For a man wanting to undergo hair removal treatment, the coronavirus pandemic came as a godsend.

It allowed the man in his 30s, who works for a Tokyo food manufacturer, to have the procedure and avoid the scrutiny of his co-workers, as his company started allowing employees in mid-March to work from home. 

“This is the time that I have long waited for to have the treatment done,” the man said.

Although many “nonessential” venues have been asked to close after last month’s declaration of a state of emergency over the pandemic, cosmetic clinics have seen a steady stream of customers. 

In Tokyo, facilities for aesthetic medicine, such as cosmetic surgery and aesthetic dermatology, escaped being designated targets for closure requested by the Tokyo metropolitan government.

Metropolitan officials said those facilities are “necessary to maintain social life,” while in comparison they asked operators of waxing and beauty salons to shut down.

On April 17, the day after the state of emergency was expanded to the entire nation, men and women of varying ages waited for treatment at a cosmetic clinic in the fashionable Ginza district of the capital.

Among the clients was the man seeking hair removal treatment, who was visiting the clinic for the first time. 

The company employee said he has worried about his appearance due to his thick beard and had thought about having the procedure done.

But through research on the internet, he found that his skin could turn reddish and become swollen in the area where hair is removed, which would lead his colleagues to suspect that he had the treatment.

So, he delayed in having it done because he didn't want anyone to know about it.

Currently, the only time he sees his co-workers is during a weekly videoconference.

“I now have plenty of free time,” said the man. “I want to receive the  treatment without anybody knowing about this since I have had a complex about my thick beard.”

At the same clinic, a 52-year-old homemaker in Tokyo’s Minato Ward said she does not want to suspend the treatment she has been receiving for almost a year to remove spots just because of the pandemic.

“I believe the ‘desire for looking beautiful’ is not nonessential,” she said, adding that she has largely refrained from going out to comply with the Tokyo metropolitan government’s stay-at-home request.

IS IT A PRIORITY TREATMENT?

However, some such clinics blasted the decision to allow the aesthetic medical industry to remain open.

The Japan Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, an organization of plastic surgeons, released a statement on its website on April 7, the same day the state of emergency was declared, calling for suspension or postponement of invasive procedures, such as liposuction and osteotomy.

“Patients and medical practitioners should both ponder what is a priority treatment,” said Hiroyuki Ohjimi, a representative of the society.

Hospitals across the nation have suffered dire shortages of medical equipment due to a surge in the number of patients with COVID-19, including masks and other protective gear.

If something goes wrong with a liposuction procedure, for example, it would add to the burden of hospitals where such a patient would be treated.

The Japan Association of Aesthetic Medicine, a public interest incorporated association, urged patients to delay treatment until the pandemic is brought under control, saying on its website, “Aesthetic medicine is not unnecessary, but nonessential.” 

“In aesthetic medicine, the boundary is inherently blurred between medicine and nonmedicine,” said Ritsu Aoki, a representative of the association. “Some clinics place more emphasis on their businesses, rather than on their responsibilities as doctors.”

EMPLOYEES WORRIED ABOUT INFECTION

Nurses working for beauty clinics also expressed concern about possible infection with the virus while their facilities stay open to accommodate the needs of their clients.

A nurse in her 20s at a Tokyo clinic said she has taken a leave of absence since the middle of last month on concerns about possible infection, which will result in a reduced paycheck.

“Some patients with COVID-19 die from the disease,” she said. “My life is more important than my job.”

Clients never stopped showing up for treatments at her clinic even after the state of emergency was issued.

The clinic took a protective measure to avoid the concentration of people at the facility by reducing the number of staff workers.

Still, nurses must come in close contact with customers to examine if their skin is reddish or the condition of pores, actions that could expose them to potential virus carriers.

Although the nurse said her concern is shared by some of her colleagues, the clinic is not considering a temporary shutdown.

“Authorities should not group all kinds of clinics together as ‘medicine,’ " she said. “They should call for closure of facilities providing nonessential services.”

(This article was written by Yuji Masuyama and Naomi Nishimura.)