We all know that true beauty is more than skin deep.  Who you are is a combination of your life experiences, emotional attributes and the choices that you have made. So why does physical beauty seem to matter so much?  And why does our evaluation of beauty seem to center on the attributes of our faces?

Researchers have been wondering the same thing.  In “Social Psychological Face Perception: Why Appearance Matters” by Zebrowitz and Montepare, they note that “faces that are less attractive, less average, less symmetrical, older, or less prototypical for their sex, create impressions of lower social competence, social power, sexual responsiveness, intelligence, and/or poorer health as well as more negative social outcomes.”  What does this mean? People that may have genetically stronger facial muscles (the dreaded RBF) and appear more stern are less likely to be approached for a career advancement or a date.  People who appear “tired” due to dull skin, laxity, deep wrinkles and dark undereye circles are often skipped over for promotion due to the perception that they are too old or tired for the job.  Most concerning, people with “mature” faces were found to receive more severe judicial outcomes than “baby-faced” people. And having a face that looks competent (as opposed to trustworthy or likable) appears to influence if a person gets elected to public office.

But how does how you look affect how YOU feel?  Well certainly how people treat you will, over time, affect how you feel.  But how about how you see yourself?  Brittony Croasdell APRN recently documented her physical and emotional journey.  She noted that as she invested more in improving her physical appearance such as treating fine lines, medical grade skin care, fillers and laser resurfacing, she noted that she was more successful, driven, and found more happiness.  She relates that due to her increased self-confidence she was better able to present herself and focus on her work and professional development.  Brittony states “when you feel better, you do better.”  And we couldn’t agree more.

At BE medi spa we truly believe that your outside should match your insides.  Stop waiting to love how you look, evidence shows you won’t regret it.

Sarah McIntee, PA-C