Despite tough economic times, people are turning to facial plastic surgery as a form of career insurance, UI Hospitals and Clinics officials say.
“People are coming into the office who never expected to look for a job,” said John Canady, the director of UIHC’s division of plastic and reconstructive surgery. “They’re now competing against younger people.”
Canady, also the president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said minimally invasive procedures — such as Botox injections, hyluronic fillers and laser treatments — started increasing even before the economic downturn. They allow patients to be back to work quickly, he noted.
“Those who are still employed are not looking at bigger procedures,” he said. “They don’t want to be gone from work too long.”
Roughly 73 percent of working-age women believe that appearance, especially in a difficult economic climate, makes a difference in getting hired, earning a promotion, or getting new clients, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
In fact, a statistical report from the organization showed that from 2007 to 2008, all forms of cosmetic surgery increased 3 percent to 12.1 million patients. Minimally invasive forms of surgery were up 5 percent in that time period.
The group describes Botox (botulinum toxin), one of the most common forms of minimally invasive surgery, as a “non-surgical injection that temporarily reduces or eliminates frown lines, forehead creases, crows feet near the eyes and thick bands in the neck.”
Botox works by blocking the transmission of nerve impulse to the injected muscles. Thus, activity of these muscles is reduced, and the facial lines formed are essentially eliminated. The process includes a few tiny injections lasting about 10 minutes.
“People can get fairly dramatic results,” Canady said.
While Canady acknowledged the effect of the procedures, he wanted to clarify their true importance.
“A common misconception is that plastic surgery is only used as a method to look younger,” he said. “It’s used to gain more confidence. It allows a person to be more relaxed and self-assured.”
The importance of confidence and self-assurance is growing in today’s working world and economy, experts said.
“Facial plastic surgery is a way to ensure a competitive advantage,” said Grant Hamilton, a plastic surgeon at the UIHC. “[These procedures] are less about any kind of transformation, it’s more about looking better, not so much about looking different.”
And employers are also focusing slightly more on a potential employee’s image.
“[Because of the economy] we’re seeing a lot more applicants,” said Jason Smith, the head of employment at ACT in Iowa City. “Because we have more choices, we can be a little more discriminating. We’re certainly looking at the skills and background of applicants, but through the lens of a first impression.”