Is this the best time for a facelift? You might not expect to hear this from a doctor, but this could well be your best time to get a facelift or neck lift. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a disaster for much of the earth’s population. But good opportunities sometimes exist in the most difficult circumstances. Could this be a great opportunity to improve your appearance? Many apparently think so.
ABC News reported in “Demand for plastic surgery is up, even with coronavirus:”
Once facial plastic and plastic surgeons offices reopened, a substantial number of patients came seeking cosmetic procedures.
Across the country there has been some pent-up demand,” stated American Society of Plastic Surgeons President Dr. Lynn Jeffers. “Even during this pandemic, the interest in plastic surgery has not waned.” Why is this moment of uncertainty such a good time to increase your attractiveness?
Attractiveness – a proven advantage in hiring and job advancement
Years ago, researchers started noticing a puzzling fact: people, especially employers, had higher opinions of attractive people. A substantial number of follow-up studies found that this had a big impact on getting a job. Ivy League human resources publication Cornell HR Review stated:
Given the high-stakes nature of job acquisition, many researchers have asked, for example, whether attractive job candidates are more likely to be hired than their peers. Overwhelmingly, the answer is yes…Furthermore, physically attractive job candidates are also offered higher starting salaries than their less attractive peers.
The advantage of looking good continues throughout your career:
Another study found that “an American worker who was among the bottom one-third in looks…earned 10 to 15 percent less per year than a similar worker whose looks were assessed in the top one-third- a lifetime difference, in a typical case, of about $230,000.”
Business magazine Forbes published a 1919 article, “It’s Time to Expose the Attractiveness Bias at Work.” It confirmed:
Physically attractive individuals are more likely to be interviewed for jobs and hired, they are more likely to advance rapidly in their careers through frequent promotions, and they earn higher wages than unattractive individuals.
Forbes sounded a warning that is even more ominous with all the COVID-19 related furloughs and layoffs:
Unsurprisingly, the beauty bias transfers into the workplace, with scientific studies showing that less attractive individuals are more likely to get fired, even though they are also less likely to be hired in the first place.
Clearly, good-looking workers are more likely to get hired, paid more, and be retained. Less attractive workers are less likely to get hired, are paid less, and are more likely to be let go. If you need one, a facelift, neck lift or blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) seems like, not a luxury, but a really good investment – especially now.
Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic reduces the impact of facelift downtime
If you’re busy at work, you may be able to take a long weekend or a couple of days off. But taking a week to 10 days off to recover from a facelift is harder. The present situation with many working from home seems an ideal time to improve your appearance. If you can utilize conference calling or Zoom meetings during your recovery, you won’t need to take much time off at all.
With the facelift technique I use, you can talk on the phone just 2-3 days after your procedure. By the 4th day, the signs that you had surgery can be pretty well hidden. Zoom meetings shouldn’t be much of a problem. In a week to 10 days, you’ll have a great new look without it ever being obvious that you had work done.
Having a facelift during the COVID-19 pandemic is generally quite safe
A facial plastic or plastic surgeon’s office may be one of the safest places to go during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many states allow elective surgeries, including cosmetic procedures. As I reported in “Is Plastic Surgery or a Facelift Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic?” many physicians have put extensive measures in place to protect their patients from infection.
For instance, at STC Plastic Surgery in Inland Empire, California we minimize the chances of patients coming into contact with other patients. We take our staff’s and each patient’s temperatures and require that they certify they have no symptoms or risk factors for transmitting COVID-19. Since coronavirus is frequently spread through the air, we have air purification systems in each room to actively kill viruses.
Everything you might touch, including pens, clipboards and furniture, is disinfected between each patient. Hand sanitizer is available throughout our facility. Although I’ve performed many successful rhinoplasties, we’ve suspended nose jobs to avoid exposing our staff to any undue risks.
We and our colleagues do much more to ensure your safety during the pandemic than most places you’d go without thinking twice – the supermarket, the liquor store, even the pharmacy. Recent research findings suggest you’re much safer having a procedure at most facial plastic or plastic surgery offices than having close friends and family come to your home for a meal or a party.
A rare opportunity to improve your life
History records many examples of people who took advantage of bad circumstances to achieve their goals. For instance, Cervantes wrote Don Quixote in debtor’s prison. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his classic Letter from Birmingham Jail in that very place. It’s wise to make the best of a bad situation.
This pandemic won’t last forever. But the economic fallout may be with us for a while. Why not do something that can improve your chances of getting the job you want, keeping the job you already have, or getting a promotion? Extensive research shows that a great new look can improve how you view yourself and how others see you.
Why not set up an in-person or virtual consultation with a highly experienced, board-certified facial plastic or plastic surgeon soon? If you’re interested in a facelift in Inland Empire (or a neck lift or blepharoplasty) you can find me at STC Plastic Surgery in Ontario.
