Emily Reynolds runs a PR firm, and with that comes pressure to look young. She’s 44, but often reads younger — intentionally. She’s done Botox, filler, laser facials, hydrofacials, and spends money on skincare. She works out hard on her Peloton and does Barry’s-style workouts. She says she’s constantly trying to strike a balance: looking mature enough to project experience, but young enough to seem relevant.
Even as she critiques the beauty standards placed on women, she admits she worries what would happen to her career if she stopped all the upkeep — and what will happen as she continues aging. “How long will I be perceived as attractive?” she asks. “And when I’m not, what happens to me professionally? I think about that every day.”
Talking about looks at work is still taboo, but research consistently shows that attractive people are trusted more, get hired more, and move up faster. And now, thanks to filters, Facetune, shapewear, boutique fitness, and endless skincare products, beauty feels more “achievable” — which only raises the pressure for everyone to meet it. GLP-1 drugs promise an easier path to thinness, too. With beauty easier to buy, the expectation to “look the part” is only growing.
On TikTok, regular office workers break down their elaborate morning routines and skincare rituals, turning these once-private habits into everyday content. The message: you, too, can look flawless — if you’re willing to invest time and money.
Remote work changed the pressure, not the stakes. People swapped office clothes for sweatpants, but suddenly stared at their own faces on camera all day. A 2021 study found that over a third of Australians began judging their appearance more harshly after hours of Zoom calls. Dermatologists reported a spike in cosmetic consults, and ASPS data shows cosmetic procedures shot up 19% from 2019 to 2022.
Ageism and job insecurity only intensify the trend. ASPS president C. Bob Basu says many patients want to look “less tired” or “more energetic,” especially in leadership or client-facing jobs. People zoom in — literally — on their under-eyes, eyelids, and jawlines. Video calls, he says, are often the tipping point.
For some, the obsession is small but persistent. Alanna Barry, 30, works in PR and became fixated on her teeth after months on Zoom. She’s thinking about Invisalign — partly for herself, partly because she feels a perfect smile might make her more confident and memorable. “There’s a stigma,” she says. “If you look polished and have fewer visible flaws, you tend to get better opportunities.”
Even job hunting now includes a beauty filter. LinkedIn puts your headshot front and center, and AI-powered headshot services promise near-perfect lighting and polished skin. As AI evaluates more resumes, more people lean on AI to upgrade their own image. But that also means photos start to look the same. Artist Gretchen Andrew says AI homogenizes faces. And when one AI-polished professional tried using his enhanced image, his clients hated it — it felt inauthentic.
Low-lift procedures are booming. Lip augmentations rose from 1.38 million in 2022 to 1.45 million in 2024. Botox usage nearly doubled from 2019 to 2024. The beauty industry hit $450 billion in value and is projected to reach $590 billion by 2030.
Even people who dislike how beauty is tied to work still fall into the cycle. Maureen Wiley Clough, who hosts a podcast on ageism, got Botox after obsessing over Zoom lines. She quit a year later out of health concerns, but still admits the aging process felt like something that only happened to “other people.”
And the benefits of attractiveness in the workplace aren’t just vibes — they show up in data. A 2023 study found that attractive MBA grads earn 2.4% more than others, with the prettiest earning $5,500 more each year. The advantage lasts throughout their careers, and it matters just as much for men.
Men, too, are turning to cosmetic surgery. They now make up 7% of plastic surgery patients, with many citing job-market competitiveness and confidence as motivators.
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs add another layer. About 12% of Americans say they’re using them. Weight stigma remains widespread — and legal in most of the U.S. HR data shows obese employees are often unfairly viewed as less motivated. Because thinness is still tied to “health,” weight discrimination often gets a pass.
Reynolds says that while she wants to look good for herself, she also knows her looks affect her career. She’s proud of her work, but feels like everything could slip if she doesn’t keep up. “Now I have to reverse age to stay here,” she says. “Why is the window so short to be professionally relevant?”
Ageism, weight stigma, and beauty privilege are deeply ingrained. Dismantling them requires challenging lifelong assumptions about beauty, value, and aging. And even though we’re often our own harshest critics, there’s plenty of evidence that others are silently assessing our faces right alongside our résumés.
“If people think a little Botox will help them get ahead,” Wiley Clough says, “they’re going to keep doing it. And honestly? They’re probably not wrong.”