corporate

It is still a corporate “no-no”, or at least politically incorrect, to openly acknowledge the role that beauty plays in the work situation. In the ‘70s, height of women’s lib, women fought to take the focus away from their looks and on to their achievements. Although the number of women in the workforce has greatly increased, Forbes.com, citing the “Beauty and Labor Market” study conducted by Daniel Hamermesh and Jeff Biddle says, “Attractive workers are asked fewer questions during job interviews, are more likely to be promoted and earn 10 percent more in salary than their average or unattractive co-workers.”

Further, according to a Newsweek poll, more than seven in ten hiring managers (72 percent) say beauty is an asset to women in the workforce.

So, what happened to women’s lib? Forbes.com observes that Millennial women (women born between 1980 and 1999 aka the “ME” generation) have no trouble using superficial qualities to climb up the corporate ladder. “As teens they boosted their cleavage to get better restaurant tips and as adults they wear higher heels and shorter skirts to land pharmaceutical sales accounts. Ivanka Trump, writing for Cosmopolitan, recommends that you “emit sex appeal on the job.” For example, you can claim you are “passionate” about a project.

But there’s a downside to beauty – aging ? and now the earliest Millennial women, currently about 32 years old, are competing for attention and accounts with women in their 20s. Dr. Vivian Diller, therapist and author of “Face  It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change,” says, “If you hold a position that is dependent on your looks, you can’t try and compete with a 20-year-old. You will never win.”

However, judging from plastic surgery statistics, Millennial women are not accepting this line of reasoning. Instead, they are preparing to compete with generation “Z.” A small but growing number of very young women are turning to cosmetic procedures. Women under age 34 now account for 20 percent of all Botox procedures and chemical peels, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Further, women aged 18 to 24 are the most likely to consider plastic surgery for themselves now or in the future.

If you’re a young woman considering plastic surgery or a cosmetic procedure, be sure to rely on the good judgment of a board-certified specialist.


Article written by The American Society for Aesthetic Surgery.