The Vanity Factor

10 The Vanity Factor

A common question that arises during the consultation with a prospective facial surgery patient is this: “Doctor, am I vain to consider having aesthetic surgery?” The following is a set of facts that the facial surgeon can use to offset those concerns.

The first order of business is to define the word vanity. I tell my patients that “vain” individuals are those who are so obsessed by their appearance that it interferes with their ability to function in society those who cannot walk past a mirror or plate glass window without making sure everything is “just right.”

I contrast such individuals with the example of people who exercise personal pride in their appearance, who bathe every day, shave accordingly, style and brush their hair, coordinate their clothes, use accessories appropriately, and pay attention to their posture and weight. There is nothing vain about these individuals, nothing vain about individuals who invest in themselves by putting their best face—their best self— forward, every day.

The career enhancement factor in looking one’s best must not be understated. Among other things, I inform my facial surgery colleagues—and patients—about a July 2010 Newsweek survey 1 taken of hiring managers and job seekers. In the context of this book, prospective patients are hirers. The survey concluded that beauty (or handsomeness) in the workplace matters, that it pays to look one’s best.

The following is extracted from an article written by Jessica Bennett about this survey.

We’ve all heard the stories about how pretty people have it easy: babies smile more around good-looking parents; handsome kids get better grades and jobs, and earn more money; the list goes on. Still, we’d probably all like to think that we’ve earned our jobs on merit alone—and that, in this economy, it’s our skill that will get us back in the game. But if you believe the results of two new Newsweek

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