Pretty Is As Pretty Earns

Getting work to get work? Cosmetic procedures offer an edge in this economy.

As people look to fatten their résumés, they may also be seeking to plump up their lips, nationwide surgeons and skin care specialists report. Baby Boomers who want to look fresh while pounding the pavement are taking advantage of specially-priced recession specials and lower cost alternatives aimed to help weary job seekers look as youthful and office-ready as the next Gen Y hopeful.

While many households have cut back on what they consider discretionary spending, a facelift or other cosmetic procedure is viewed as an investment, especially in this cutthroat economy. Despite widespread financial woes, surgeons from New York to California have reported significant increases in business.

Board certified plastic surgeon Matthew Schulman, M.D. says that his practice has seen an uptick in Baby Boomers, and that the age groups requesting cosmetic procedures vary from older than the norm, to younger than what he usually sees.

“While I normally see people in their late forties and early fifties requesting facial rejuvenation, I am seeing an increase in both men and women in their early 60s requesting the same,” Schulman, who practices in New York City, says. “These mainly consist of surgical procedures such as facelift, necklift, eyelid surgery and eyebrow lift.”

Schulman says that the reasons for the bump in business are related to the economy. “Part of this has to do with the reduced stigma surrounding plastic surgery, but most has to do with the economy forcing the Boomers back into the work force,” he explains. “Whether real or perceived, they feel as if they need to look younger in order to compete—and succeed—among a younger workforce.”

While he has seen older patients come in, the fastest growing group consists of younger women, Schulman notes. “Interestingly, the largest growing demographic within my practice is the woman in her late 30s or early forties with school-age children,” he says. “These women are now finding themselves looking to re-enter the workforce after taking many years off to raise their children.”

Forced to earn a second household income, they want to look ready for the change. “The current economic climate has certainly influenced them in this decision,” Schulman maintains. “Unlike my older patients who commonly request facial rejuvenation, these women more commonly request body rejuvenation to reverse the effects of multiple pregnancies.”

What they want, he explains, is the famous “mommy makeover,” and it makes up a large portion of his surgical practice. The mommy makeover usually includes a breast lift, breast implants, tummy tucks, and liposuction.

Youth, patients realize, is a head-to-toe operation. “In speaking with my patients, they feel that a younger-looking body will help their chances of securing a job. I cannot discount the tremendous boost in self-confidence as well,” Schulman says.

That self-confidence will help as people navigate the job market. The connection between the economy and the increased interest in plastic surgery and related procedures is strong, says Dr. Kevin Tehrani, also a NY-based plastic surgeon and appearance seems to count more than ever. Men, he says, make up the fastest-growing group in his practice.

“We have seen an influx of men who are suddenly unemployed trying to do everything possible to up their chances to land their next job,” he says.

Like Schulman, Tehrani has also seen an increase in younger women; those patients tend to seek non-surgical procedures like Botox and other injectables. In this difficult economy, everyone, it seems, is seeking to look better than ever.

“It’s a proven fact that there is a correlation between being hired for a job and being good looking. It has a lot to do with lack of knowledge about the person and first impressions—well-educated people are presumably well-educated about how to maintain their good looks, people who are unattractive take time to ‘grow’ on you,” Tehrani explains.

Los Angeles-based board certified facial plastic surgeon Michael A. Persky, M.D. F.A.C.S. agrees. “Studies have shown that attractive people are treated better, more likely to be offered jobs, and get paid more than equally qualified applicants,” he says, citing Nancy Etcoff’s Survival of the Prettiest.  

Tehrani adds that the confidence that one may gain from enhancement also plays a role. “I always want to make sure my patients are getting surgery done for the right reasons, especially this new influx of men,” he adds. “But the truth is— when you look better, you feel better; when you feel better, you are more confident; when you are confident, you get what you want. It’s a relatively standard equation.”

Schulman adds that the tough economy has also gotten currently employed people to consider appearance enhancement. “Not only is it difficult to re-enter the work force, many are finding it difficult to elevate their position or even stay employed. They are looking for every edge they can get, and as a result are requesting non-invasive procedures such as injectables, Botox, chemical peels, and laser treatments,” he explains. 

These new treatments explain why more men have been coming into the office, Schulman, who is assistant professor of plastic surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine notes. “Statistically, men represent less than 20 percent of cosmetic surgery patients, but this number has grown significantly over the past year.”

New York and Los Angeles are not the only places where the economy is affecting the field of appearance enhancement. “Women in their thirties are starting to get Botox,” says Elaine Greenberg, owner of Charlotte, NC-based Ageless Remedies SouthPark. “However, most of our Botox patients are 40 through 70.  More and more men are opting for Botox, as well.”   

While Schulman has some high-profile clients—including entertainers facing younger competition and the sharp eye of the high definition camera—the appeal of enhancement has spread not merely among broader age groups, and from women to men, but to more professions.

The newest professions to see faces go under the knife and needle? “Finance, finance, finance!” Tehrani says, “And more formal professions like lawyers and accountants. I can’t stress how much this has changed since the recession began.”

Greenberg has seen a wide range of professionals enter the spa, and they don't all have high-profile careers. "Charlotte is a banking town," she explains. "People in all professions are our clients, such as bankers, attorneys, and entrepreneurs."

Interestingly, the recession has forced these professionals to take a harder look at themselves. “A lot of men and women in these industries had a false sense of confidence from all of the money they made; now they’re being forced to look a little deeper and really evaluate themselves,” Tehrani says. “Sometimes this can be painful and hard for people who aren’t used to living their lives that way.”

Fillers, Botox, and other injectables are the most popular right now, and seem to be the way the field is headed, skin specialists say.  “The economy is affecting major surgical procedures which many patients are putting off,” Persky explains. “They are having ‘liquid facelifts’—the use of fillers and Botox to take years off of the appearance.”

For active job seekers or those employees who don’t want to risk taking days off, the relatively short recovery time is another bonus to these procedures. Greenberg says that staff at her medical spa encourages clients to choose non-surgical, minimally invasive procedures because in addition to lower expenses, “there is little to no down time.”  

Interested in getting some work done yourself—so you can get some work? Dermatologists and plastic surgeons, including those interviewed for this article, now offer recession specials, discounted promotions and other deals to get your prettiest foot forward. Check out their sites or ask your own doctor for details.