Research Shows Cosmetic Surgery Can Boost Your Income Potential and Career
By: Michelle Jones Singer, M.D. – Founder and Medical Director, Cosmetic Surgery of Indianapolis
Despite a down economy, one industry that continues to grow is cosmetic surgery. Even when people are struggling to pay their mortgages, they are financing tummy tucks, liposuction and breast augmentations at a faster pace than ever before. With rates as low as 4 percent and credit limits as high as $10,000, cosmetic surgery is more accessible than many home loans. Surprisingly, the increase in cosmetic surgery is being directly attributed by many to the slumping economy and sluggish job market. Why? Because youth and beauty sells – even in the workplace.
Recent studies show that work experience, skills and job performance are not the only factors managers consider when hiring, promoting or granting raises. According to a Harvard Study of Health and Life Quality in May 2009, those job seekers who were attractive, as well as confident, stood a better chance of getting hired. According to the study, good-looking people tend to think more highly of their worth and capabilities, leading to a higher income and less financial stress. Even a study in the Journal of Economic Psychology revealed that people who were deemed more attractive made 12 percent more annually than those that were less attractive. These statistics reveal why so many people are opting for cosmetic surgery for professional reasons.
Another new trend in cosmetic surgery that can be directly attributed to today’s slumping economy is the growing number of men choosing to undergo cosmetic surgery for professional reasons. According to a recent AARP study, about 25 percent of respondents indicated in light of the economic times, they were deferring retirement or changing their retirement plans all together.
As a result, today’s older workers are vying for jobs, raises and promotions with significantly younger counterparts. A recent NBC poll revealed that more men than ever before are turning to cosmetic surgery in efforts to boost their income potential and extend the life of their careers. Of these men, 95 percent are working professionals. These are men that would otherwise be planning for retirement, but due to economic and financial conditions are finding themselves forced to stay in the workforce longer than they planned. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, some of the top male cosmetic surgical procedures in 2008 were Botox, liposuction, abdominal liposculpture and breast reductions also known as gynecomastia
Many financial advisors say in this turbulent economy, the best investment you can make is in yourself. Statistics seem to be supporting this theory. Last year more than 12 million people underwent cosmetic surgery, and many of those did so in hopes of improving their income potential and career path through attractiveness, youthfulness and confidence.
Perhaps the greatest revelation of these studies is that your mom was right: First impressions are important (and apparently bankable). While landing a job, getting a raise or climbing the corporate ladder should not be the sole reasons for undergoing cosmetic surgery, these recent empirical correlations between appearance and financial success may be enough to prompt professionals to consider the options seriously. Given the current economy, “doing whatever it takes” may well include a little “nip and tuck.”
