Your bosses and co-workers can claim diet and exercise all they want. The truth is, that healthy glow might be the result of cosmetic enhancement.

And it might put them at a competitive advantage for the next promotion.

It’s a phenomenon occurring across the country. Plastic surgery, once the dominion of Hollywood starlets, has found a home in the corporate boardroom.

Keeping it easy
Today, doctors offer lunchtime appointments for Botox injections. And recovery time for more minor surgical procedures is often a weekend thing.

Cosmetic procedures, surgical and minimally invasive, were up about 7 percent in 2007 compared with 2006, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, liposuction, nose reshaping and tummy tucks were the top five procedures on the surgical side. Botox procedures were up 13 percent in 2007, and other top procedures include chemical peels, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion and hyaluronic acid treatments (Restylane and Juvederm).

Just because someone chooses surgery to improve their looks does not necessarily mean they are slaves to their own vanity.

Dr. Hatem Galal of Riverside said there are many reasons for surgery, and most of them are practical.

“About 80 percent of people have a positive body image,” he said. “They don’t feel unattractive, but they would like surgery to correct perceived imperfections.”

Look better, feel confident
Galal said many patients are not waiting till they get older and are coming in for surgery in their mid-20s, and more woman make that decision than men.

“It can be for their image, self confidence. We are geared to a youthful look, which is more attractive to most people,” he said.

Those in that younger age group, Galal added, are usually interested in body contouring, such as liposuction, nose surgery, breast enhancement or augmentation.

Because of advanced procedures and technology, it could take a day or two to recover from face-lift surgery, instead of the six weeks of several decades ago.

“The surgery is much more refined now, and there is an emphasis on patient safety,” he said. “What used to be done in hospitals now can be done in outpatient facilities, in and out.”
Recovery time is a bigger factor for those in the working world, Galal said.

“When they can be seen in public is very important,” he said. “They need to know that before they make a decision to have surgery.”

Plastic surgery is no longer an option only for the rich, and Galal said he is seeing more working people seeking out his services.

Nobody wants to look tired
Dr. Steven Dayan, a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, researched the effects of Botox treatments on first impressions and published a paper on the subject this summer.

Patients said they received more favorable treatment in the workplace after the injections, so the Chicago plastic surgeon studied the role of improved confidence after cosmetic procedures.

“There’s a component in our brains of how we perceive things,” he said. “We’re attracted to certain things like symmetry, averageness of the face. We can’t help it. The injections make people look more friendly and less angry. Less angry makes them look more attractive. My opinion is, it’s more based on the way you feel about yourself. My goal is to make you feel good about yourself.”

Men are opening up to plastic surgery more than ever, doctors agreed. An attorney recently came to Dayan with the complaint that he sweated too much in the courtroom, so he used injectables to help inhibit nerves that control sweating.

Dayan’s rhinoplasty procedures have increased by about 38 percent. Botox use increased 18 percent this year over last year.

Fillers like Botox are “through the roof” in popularity, Dayan said, noting that patients can spend $1,500 to $2,000 on refreshers rather than $10,000 on a face-lift.

Botox has been around for more than 20 years, but its use has skyrocketed in the past five to 10 years. Restylane, Juvederm and other injectables can last six to 12 months and offer a refreshing look.

And while plastic surgeons are seeing more professionals tweaking their looks, doctors agree that procedures have become appealing across all vocations because of the notoriety from TV and the Internet.

Dr. Jafar Hasan of Westchester said listening to a patient’s wishes and translating that into the proper surgical or injectable procedure is essential.

“We try to get a good sense of what patients want out of the procedure,” Hasan said. “We look at those motivations relative to what the surgeon can perform and what kind of results we can give them.”

Hasan, who also treats patients at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, added that one of the most important things is for the patient to have realistic expectations when it comes to plastic surgery.

The path to success in the work place does not necessarily begin and end under a surgeon’s knife, said image consultant Julie Judd of La Grange.

“I think what’s more important than surgery is not to look old and stay current,” Judd said.
She achieves that for her clients by examining such things as hairstyles and eyeglasses, clothing styles and teeth-whitening.

“My feeling is there are a lot of things you can do before plastic surgery,” Judd said. “I think people can make major improvements with the way they look without it. If someone came to me to help with their image, that’s not the first thing I would think of.”