Hey, Beautiful: The costly 'upkeep' of looking good isn't just for rich and famous

May 21—When you see celebrities or other wealthy people who (objectively) look good, people contribute it all to "plastic surgery," but that's not necessarily true. They do go under the knife, but mostly, it's because they have access to the best professionals, products and services money can buy.

These procedures aren't just for the rich and famous anymore. As these services continue to become more popular and more expensive, where do we stop?

Med-spas now are like nail salons, popping up in strip malls and in offices all over, even in our little region. Your next-door neighbor likely has their go-to Botox injector. And while that's fabulous for our area to keep up with the trends and the times, it also means our "upkeep" is more expensive than ever.

It used to be that people had standing appointments for things like their hair and nails. Somewhere along the way we added eyebrows (waxing, threading, microblading and lamination aka that brushed up look), eyelashes (extensions or lash lifts and tints), teeth whitening, body hair removal, cosmetic tattooing (like powder brows and lip blushing), facials and skin treatments, spray tans and good ol' injectables like Botox or other neurotoxins, cosmetic filler and more.

Dazed Beauty, an alternative lifestyle and culture website, reported on this phenomenon and the increasing "beauty tax," or the disparity between those who can afford these beauty treatments and those who can't.

"Beauty and wealth have always been bedfellows. Throughout history, the beauty standard of any given period has served the ideological interests of the ruling class," the publication said. And "while some people have the economic freedom and class standing to engage in beauty work," others may not. As the beauty standard continues to evolve, more and more people who can't afford this work are left behind.

'Social' standard

Look on social media and you'll find the current standard of beauty. While the internet has made it so genres and styles bleed together and even people who wear clown makeup (it's called "clowncore") have found their own beauty community, there's still an overall mainstream look that defines "beauty" for the culture. For instance, in the mid-2010s, Kylie Jenner was the standard of beauty. Everyone wanted round, high cheeks, big and full lips and heavy makeup, like full-coverage foundation, sculpted contour, false lashes and structured brows.

Since the pandemic, things have changed. Right now as I scroll through Instagram, I see an emphasis on clear, supple skin, sculpted jawlines, natural-yet-plump lips, laminated brows, and long (but natural-looking) eyelashes. We're focused on a more "natural" look. However, we're using the same amount of effort to create it and, most likely, double or triple the money.

I've heard it described as "back-end beauty," meaning you invest in treatments like injectables, lash extensions and permanent makeup like tattooed brows and lip blushing to do less with your appearance in your day-to-day life. For instance, to yield this super-clear, plump skin, many people are now supplementing their skin care routine with facial treatments, from traditional aesthetic services like hydrating facials and chemical peels to minimally invasive outpatient treatments like high-tech lasers and light therapy.

One of the biggest right now is Morpheus8, a non-surgical treatment that combines microneedling with radio frequency to stimulate collagen production. It tightens skin and smooths wrinkles, fades acne scarring and other marks and just generally improves the look and feel of skin. I've seen incredible results from Morpheus8 treatments on the face and body, but these treatments aren't cheap. The price varies with location and provider, but according to a story in Cosmopolitan, Morpheus8 costs about $1,500 to $3,000 to treat your face and neck, and as much as $4,000 for larger areas like the stomach or inner thighs. But this has become a routine part of people's beauty routines.

That's probably the most extreme end of the spectrum, but it's not just skin. Even trendy hair services, like the "lived-in" looking hand-painted highlights and balayage to vivids and fashion colors (like lime green or hot pink), hand-tied extensions, keratin treatments and more, can cost upwards of $500 per appointment, easily, and must be maintained.

I'm not scolding anyone on how they spend their money and I'm also not saying that anyone has to get these services done as part of their upkeep. We all have autonomy over our own bodies, but many women, myself included, enjoy these beauty rituals because they're our forms of self-care. I save up to afford my injectables and the minute I can afford it, I will most likely get some Morpheus8 treatments. But that's my choice. My skin care routine can only go so far and Morpheus8 would help fade years of acne scars and associated painful memories.

However, the pressures leveled against women to look a certain way is a tale as old as time. Also, whether we agree with it or not, our appearance has a lot to do with how we are perceived.

The beauty premium

If you Google studies about attractiveness in relation to getting hired, you'll yield 452 million hits, including a Forbes article from 2021 that states "attractive people are more likely to get hired, receive better evaluations and get paid more," according to a University of Buffalo study. And that "a Harvard study previously confirmed, 'Workers of above average beauty earn about 10 to 15% more than workers of below-average beauty. The size of this beauty premium is economically significant and comparable to the race and gender gaps in the U.S. labor market.'"

I've said it before, but it's weird to write about beauty in an age of "wokeness." Body positivity, loving oneself and being comfortable with the image in the mirror is something we are embracing more than ever before. But ... are we? There's a fine line between getting lip filler because it makes us feel good versus getting filler to keep up with what society thinks we should look like. It's even more complicated and sticky when you think about the gap in privilege it creates. I don't have an answer for this, and I'd love to hear how you feel about it.

Dazed Beauty noted the popular internet meme that features photos of celebrities before and after fame and money, accompanied by the phrase "You're not ugly, you're just poor." While the language is abrasive, the sentiment is true: money is the world's worst-kept beauty secret.

As the article puts it, "Unless we work to change things, we are approaching a future in which our beauty standard evolves to an ever-expensive ideal, further increasing the opportunity gap between classes. 'I'm not ugly, I'm just poor' may just be a meme — but the reality behind the satire paints a terrifying vision for the future."

Gia Mazur merwine is a staff writer for the Lifestyles Department of The Times-Tribune. Contact her at gmazur@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9127 or @gmazurTT on Twitter.

Contact the writer: gmazur@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127; @gmazurTT on Twitter