Are You Vain? Why Caring About Your Looks Can Pay Off in $$$

There is a connection between looking good and feeling good about yourself. If you think that vanity is nothing more than narcissistic foolishness, think again. Vanity can pay off in more ways than you know.

Daniel Hamermesh is an economist at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of "Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful". His area of expertise is pulchronomics - the economics of beauty. His research studies revealed a number of disturbing truths, including that attractive women are more likely to land a wealthy spouse (duh!) and more importantly, earn more money than their less attractive counterparts. How much more? An average of $230,000 over the course of a lifetime. According to Dr. Hamermesh, even an average-looking person is likely to make $140,000 more over a lifetime than an ugly person. Although men are subject to similar discrimination in the workplace, women already start out earning less than men, making the pay differences for them even more pronounced.

Hamermesh’s “revelation” is nothing new to the American Cancer Society…they host a program teaching beauty techniques to cancer survivors that helps manage the appearance-related side effects of chemo and radiation treatments. It was no accident that they chose to name their program – “Look Good Feel Better”.

Whether or not you realize it, your external looks give the world a glimpse into who you are and how much or how little you value yourself. This insight teaches others exactly how to treat you. Just as physical activity generates endorphins that make you feel good, taking care of your exterior and just thinking that you look attractive creates a sense of well-being and pride that jumpstarts your self-esteem and sends a message to those around you. That’s why makeovers are so popular. Changing your looks and improving your appearance can pay off big time.

If you are a woman over 40, you know that there is no turning back the hands of time, no miraculous overnight transformation that can take us back to our youthful selves. Even cosmetic surgery is not biologically restorative, and according to Dr. Hamermesh, as an investment pays back less than $1 for every $1 spent.  Gone are the days when we could party all night and wake up after 3 hours of sleep looking as fresh as a daisy. This is where good skin care comes in. There are no shortcuts.

Dedication to the twice daily cleansing and moisturizing routines we all complain about when we are dead tired and longing to jump into bed – face unwashed – is an effort that will reward us in the long run. Like exercise, the act of cleansing and massaging our faces stimulates blood circulation, which in turn delivers nourishment to the entire body and results in a clearer, rosier complexion that literally glows with good health. That youthful glow translates directly into looking good and apparently, potential dollars earned.

So what are you waiting for? Those crow’s feet, slack skin and age spots are not going to get better unless you choose to do something to minimize them. It’s time to get back to basics and develop some old-fashioned self-discipline. Don’t settle for being a shrinking wallflower at the tender age of forty or fifty! You’ve got decades of excitement ahead of you so stop complaining about how you look, and start developing some pride in your appearance. Here is my personal game plan for “looking good – feeling better”:

1.  Start by exchanging those late nights of channel surfing for a darkened room, soothing sleepytime music and getting adequate rest. Sleep is as close to a magic elixir as you will ever find. It allows the body to heal, detoxify and rebuild. The phrase “beauty sleep” is an accurate description of what happens while you are getting some shut-eye.
2.  Remember: all sleep is not equal. The body has limited resources, making body repairs and multi-tasking less than optimal during waking hours. Certain organs and bodily functions require complete rest during specific hours of the night for maximum efficacy, so going to sleep at 4 a.m. and waking up at noon is not quite the same as going to sleep at 10 p.m. and waking up at 7 a.m.
3. Next, ease into a progressive exercise program by walking 30 minutes a day: you will be amazed at how quickly your stamina will build, your body will tone up, and your attitude will improve.
4. Reassess your hairstyle and your haircolor. Most women look older with gray hair. Are you one of them? Unless you are one of the lucky few who look absolutely stunning in white tresses, get a referral to a good colorist who can make those age-revealing grey hairs disappear like magic. There are new, healthier alternatives to the toxic dyes that used to hold our mothers hostage, so be sure to ask for them.
5. Change your diet. Eliminate excess sugar, fatty and processed foods, and get back to basics by eating lots of healthy, colorful vegetables, fruits and non-genetically modified grains. These natural foods will enable your body to detoxify and help organs regenerate naturally.
6. Be aware of your posture. Nothing says “loser” like a body slumped over. Make the effort to stand straight and own your height.
7. Don’t forget to smile. Smiling is contagious and can lift your mood, reduce stress, and make you appear more confident.
8. Give yourself a home manicure. Fancy appliques on nail polish or artificial acrylics are not necessary. File those ragged edges, push back the cuticles and clean underneath the nail for a look of simple elegance.
9. Go easy on the makeup as more is not always better. Be sure to update your application technique so that you are in vogue and look age appropriate.
10. Last but not least, find a good skincare program and stick to it. My crazy schedule does not allow for a complicated beautification routine. I use La Isha, a 3-step program that gets me in and out of the bathroom quickly, and makes my skin look as if I devoted hours to nurturing it. Which is the very best program for you? That’s easy – the one that you will actually use and stick with!

We live in an increasingly competitive world and whether we like it or not, are judged by how we look. Your appearance is your future. Invest in it wisely.  

Copyright July 2013 Sharon Gnatt Epel for La Isha

This blog is brought to you by La Isha Natural Skin Care

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