$12.5 billion.

It’s not exactly the GNP of a small country, but it is, shall we say, a pretty penny. And it’s how much Americans spent on cosmetic surgery procedures in 2004, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

From Botox injections and breast enlargements to face-lifts and hair transplants, there were 11.9 million cosmetic procedures performed in 2004—a number that jumped 465 percent in the past seven years. And just to get a few myths out of the way: No, it’s not all baby boomers fighting off a midlife crisis—in fact, nearly a quarter of the patients seeking procedures were under 35. And it’s not all women. Although men accounted for only 10 percent of patients, their numbers have increased 306 percent since 1997.

Our culture’s obsession with appearance is, by definition, superficial. All other factors being equal, we prefer to work with, date and hang out with good-looking folks—and apparently people are willing to pay to fit into that category. And why not; studies have shown that it may be worth the investment in terms of a higher salary.

A University of Texas (UT) study published in the Journal of Labor Economics showed that better-looking attorneys earned more money after five years of practice than their less-attractive, but equally experienced, colleagues.

Economist Daniel S. Hamermesh, one of the UT researchers, wondered if he could calculate the impact that a worker’s appearance has on the bottom line. In his study, he found consistent evidence of what he calls a “beauty premium”: The men and women ranked in the top third of attractiveness in his studies earned about 5 percent more than average-lookers did. The least-attractive subjects in his sample—the employees rated as “below average or homely”—took home paychecks that were on average 7 percent to 9 percent less than those of the average-lookers.

‘The Plainness Penalty’

Hamermesh dubbed his findings “the plainness penalty.” His research catapulted him onto The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the front page of The Wall Street Journal. Clearly he’d struck a nerve.

Two other economists took Hamermesh’s research a step further in a 2003 study that examined why the best- looking workers receive fatter paychecks. They attributed the “beauty premium” to three factors.

First, handsome employees had polished communication and social skills, which were likely honed during a lifetime of extra attention they received because they were so easy on the eyes. Those interpersonal skills accounted for 50 percent of their “bonus.”

Second, their employers assumed they were more competent than plainer colleagues. That stereotype accounted for 30 percent of their premium pay.

And the remaining 20 percent? Credit it to attractive workers’ higher level of self-confidence, say professors Markus Mobius of Harvard University and Tanya Rosenblat of Wesleyan University.

Additional psychological studies have found that good-looking women and men are perceived as friendlier, more competent and more confident than plainer Janes and Joes—even when they have the same experience, education and skills. So if good looks pay off, that certainly explains some of the reasoning behind the exploding number of cosmetic procedures.

Fighting Off Age With a Knife

People who are dissatisfied with their looks are willing to take dramatic measures to change them, such as the breast and buttock lifts, liposuction, face-lifts and nose jobs performed by plastic surgeons such as James H. Wells, M.D., of Long Beach, Calif.

And for those people who fall somewhere in between, there’s always poison in the form of Botox. The nation’s most popular nonsurgical cosmetic procedure in 2004 was the relatively noninvasive Botox injection, which helps paralyze and smooth facial wrinkles.

Despite Botox’s popularity, New York City–based reconstructive surgeon Steve Fallek, M.D., says his patients don’t necessarily have a goal of looking younger. What they’re after is a “fresher” version of themselves. People are living longer, marrying (and remarrying) later and remaining in the workforce longer. Though they have a hard-earned half-century of life experience, they don’t want to look like it.

“The 60-year-old CEO who’s trying to look like he’s 20 or 30 looks like a joke,” Fallek says. “But he wants to look fit, with eyelids that aren’t so puffy, to look competitive, energetic, enthusiastic.”

But is the secret to professional success really eyelids that don’t droop?

All Things Being Equal

Patricia Kerstner, a psychologist and campus college chair of social and behavioral sciences for the University of Phoenix’s College of Health and Human Services in Phoenix, doesn’t think so. She understands that many cosmetic surgery patients undergo procedures to help boost their confidence. Kerstner herself says that she felt more sure of herself after surgery 20 years ago to remove a detested nose bump she “inherited” from her father.

“But simple appearance is not necessarily the sole factor in success,” she says. “And if people are getting plastic surgery with the expectation of being happier or getting a promotion, they’ll be disappointed. A nose job is not going to rock your world.”

Wells says he tries to screen out prospective patients who think an operation will jump-start their career or love life. “I would not suggest people use surgery as the ticket to getting the jobs they want,” he says. “It’s not life-changing other than to the individual. Talent and skills are more important than looking pretty.”

Still, if you feel that your aging appearance doesn’t match the “real” you, don’t discount less-extreme cosmetic changes. Those not blessed with natural beauty or whose gray hairs or wrinkles add unwanted maturity can color their hair, wear contacts instead of glasses, straighten or whiten their teeth, wear makeup, or simply update their clothes and hairstyles.

Nonetheless, what is more likely to satisfy your expectations is a different type of makeover—one that builds your skills or experience. Whether you opt to go back to school for a degree, take a public speaking course or volunteer for a nonprofit agency, the value-add is much deeper than the one you would get from a wrinkle-free forehead.

Improving and highlighting those professional strengths can pay off for all employees, regardless of how attractive they are. For Hamermesh, the economist, it all comes down to the payoff. He recommends that workers looking for a raise, promotion or better job invest in their abilities rather than their appearance.

Nip and Tuck by the Numbers

While putting your best face forward is a priority, plastic surgery for other body parts is more common.

Top five surgical procedures for women:
1. liposuction
2. breast augmentation
3. eyelid surgery
4. tummy tuck
5. face-lift

Top five surgical procedures for men:
1. liposuction
2. eyelid surgery
3. rhinoplasty (nose reshaping)
4. male breast reduction
5. hair transplantation

Source: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2004

The Legal Side of Looks

Robert D. Lipman hears all kinds of unsettling tales. He meets with job applicants who suspect they weren’t promoted because management didn’t like their clothing, piercings or demeanor. He speaks with young women who have been propositioned during job interviews. He empathizes with top-performing employees who lost their jobs when a new boss unexpectedly swept out the old guard.

Lipman, a New York City attorney who specializes in employment and labor law, has bad news for nearly everyone: Most workplace wrongs aren’t illegal. “You can fire someone if you don’t like the way their shoes are polished,” he says. “Your appearance is not a protected class.”

It’s illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex, race and other federally protected categories—in some states, that even includes obesity caused by a medical condition— but proving bias can be an insurmountable challenge. Was she fired because she was “too old” or because she lacked a college degree? Was he bypassed for that promotion because he was Hispanic or incompetent?

Few workers with a complaint ever get their day in court. About 200 people each month visit the offices of Lipman & Plesur to explore filing lawsuits for everything from sexual harassment to denial of earned overtime pay. The firm takes only about two of those potential cases a month.

Lipman regretfully tells the other 198 angry, disappointed or outraged workers: “You were fired unfairly or unjustly, but that’s not unlawful.”