Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 7:58:33 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Plastic Surgery: Your Own Personal Stimulus Package

Posted Sep 11, 08 3:36 PM CDT in Opinion,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – Rising gas prices, fewer jobs and the slumping economic has many craving a face-lift, literally. Most would-be patients make less than $60,000, so why not have "tax breaks on cosmetic surgery for low-income Americans," Rosa Brooks suggests in the Los Angeles Times. It’s a completely rational investment, she writes, since "we live in a society that rewards beauty (and penalizes ugliness)."

Attractive employees earn 5% more than average-looking ones, and the unattractive ones earn 9% less, studies show. "If you can go from unattractive to 'average,' you've potentially got a lifetime 9% income boost." That's a lot cheaper, and easier, than a master's degree. Not sold? Two-thirds of patients say they are getting work done "to remain competitive in the workplace."

Source Los Angeles Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Nephew Probed in West's Death

    Nov 26, 08 10:35 AM CST
    Nephew Probed in West's Death Authorities have launched a new investigation into the death of Kanye West’s mother, People reports, this time focusing on Donda West’s nephew. Registered nurse Stephan Scoggins, who is being investigated for possible negligence, was supposed to supervise West's post-op care but left for a baby shower the day after her surgery, a source said. Scoggins may also have administered too much Vicodin.
    More »

  • Where Is This Supermodel's Belly Button?

    Nov 23, 08 8:17 PM CST
    Where Is This Supermodel's Belly Button? Supermodel Karolina Kurkova's recent turn on the catwalk for Victoria's Secret had curious spectators wondering what happened to her belly button. The Czech stunner offered no explanation for her smooth stomach, which has only a minor indentation where her navel should be, and her agent says only that "she's not an alien." The BBC goes in search of navel intelligence.
    More »

  • Docs Pay Patients to Post Surgeries on YouTube

    Jun 26, 08 8:41 AM CDT
    Docs Pay Patients to Post Surgeries on YouTube When her doctor offered her a $100 discount to post her Lasek surgery on YouTube, Michelle Wilder was perplexed. “I was wondering, ‘Who wants to see my surgery?’” she says. But the money talked, and now you can see Wilder, and thousands of others, go under the knife online, the New York Times reports. More and more cosmetic surgeons are rewarding patients for such exhibitionism. More »

  • Cosmetic Surgery Can't Go Unmentioned

    Apr 14, 08 2:07 PM CDT
    Cosmetic Surgery Can't Go Unmentioned Cosmetic surgery is out of control, TV critic Mary McNamara contends in the Los Angeles Times, and it's time to break the taboo of talking about it in mainstream criticism. TV reviews shouldn’t descend into blogospheric dissections of cosmetic work, but obvious surgery not connected to an actor’s role “can affect not only their performance but the whole tone of the show.” More »

  • Latest Fat Fad: Shots That Dissolve Flab

    Jan 9, 08 5:23 PM CST
    Latest Fat Fad: Shots That Dissolve Flab Cosmetic surgeons are peddling a controversial new way to lose weight for those too busy to exercise. It's called "lipodissolve"—a series of injections that dissolves fat and takes 15 minutes to administer. The active ingredient, a chemical known as PCDC, melts flab within days. The procedure has been banned in several countries and hasn't yet been approved in the US, but some docs are calling it a "miracle cure." More »

No longer just for celebs, plastic surgery is embraced by people of all classes: 30% of those seeking it make less than $30,000.   (AP Photo)
A plastic surgeon in his New York office. More than half say their business is suffering because of the economic downturn.   (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Going under the knife can increase salaries and boost careers.   (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
A doctor performs a cosmetic surgical procedure called tumescent liposculpture on a patient.   (KRT Photos)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Whatever the cause, why shouldn't you decide that putting down $5,000 for a nose job or liposuction or $2,500 for a "chin augmentation" is a smart long-term investment? - Rosa Brooks,
Los Angeles Times

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

work • plastic surgery • cosmetic surgery • beauty • workplace discrimination


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Arts & Living Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »