I got a call yesterday from a news agency from the East Coast who was doing a story on patients who undergo plastic surgery procedures for career concerns/advancement. Over the years, I have had a few patients who openly stated so although I suspect many more of my patients have had surgery for that reason without so stating. (and I am not talking about here a breast augmentation for a dancer!)
As one approaches middle-age, the usual signs of aging (often perceived as tiredness even though the patient isn’t) are visible around the eyes, jowl, and sometimes the neck areas. The visibility of the face makes it a more marketable item than the body which can be ‘dressed up’ and camouflaged…the face can not. Makeup can only cover so many flaws. I have heard patients say repeatedly that they get tired of people telling them that…they look tired. This is where the eyes and brow areas play such an important role in societal perception. While Botox is very effective at temporarily improving that angry scowl or those lines between the brow taht come from squinting and concentrating, only real surgery can tighten up the eyelids, lift the brow, or get rid of that sagging jowl. These seem the be the areas that patients focus on when they want to look better and be more competitive in their career and marketplace.

 
How shallow you say? Perhaps, but the reality is…everything else being equal…tall men have more opportunities than shorter men….more attractive people are hired more frequently than those judged as less attractive…and looking refreshed and energetic can give one an edge in any sales situation. (which is just about every situation is life) On-site performance may be the foundation of one’s job, but one’s appearance is certainly complementary to it. If that is not true, how do I account for the large number of younger women in pharmaceutical sales jobs?

Plastic surgery is fundamentally self-image surgery, it is all about making you feel better about yourself. As the old saying goes…you will not succeed beyond how you see yourself.

 
Dr. Barry Eppley
http://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com
http://www.ologyspa.com
Clarian North Medical Center, Carmel, Indiana
Clarian West Medical Center, Avon, Indiana
Indianapolis