Plastic Surgery Means Job Security For Some Southland Women

The recession has some in the Southland resorting to drastic measures to keep their jobs.

Coachella Valley plastic surgeons report that a trend amongst women is growing in the desert: investing in plastic surgery to remain competitive in the workplace.

It might be shallow, and it might be unfair. But it’s a reality.

“Physical appearance for a woman is huge,” said Charissa Farley. “Anybody who says it’s not is denying that.”

More than men, in the workplace, women are judged by how they look. Physical appearance is often a deal breaker.

“The jobs are not out there like they were and it’s very competitive,” said Billie McKay, 57, a homecare nurse. “All [of] the new nurses are coming in, [and] they’re in their 20s. … It’s kind of hard to look and see they can be your daughter, and you want to look good.”

Judy Munson owns a janitorial service company in Los Angeles.

“My husband passed away and the stress really showed,” she said. “So, I didn’t want to get too old too fast.”

Charissa Farley, 48, owns Farley Paving here in the valley and has worked in construction for more than 20 years. Her colleagues, clients and competitors are all predominantly men.

“I was blonde. I was a little bit overweight, and I think that people looked over my shoulder, especially men in construction and especially out in the field,” she explained. “I think they looked over my shoulder every single day.”

All three women said they have worked extremely hard to get to where they are at in their professions. But, aging left them looking older than they felt. So, they elected to have plastic and cosmetic surgery.

Before and after surgery photos show that Judy Munson looked much different a few months ago.

“I think that a younger woman or man could take my spot,” said Munson. “It’s just a part of life.”

She’s had multiple procedures including a thigh lift and a face-lift.

“I think I have gotten additional contracts because they don’t want to work with someone that looks too old,” she said.

Munson meets with clients on a daily basis to sell her business, and she believes that the younger looking Judy is a better salesperson than the older looking Judy.

“I wouldn’t have lost my old clients,” she said. “But, new clients — I think I would have probably not got my foot in the door to give them the bids.”

“Our numbers are not back to 2007 numbers, but we’re going to be very close,” said Dr. Mo Zakhireh, a board certified plastic surgeon, who performed 300 surgeries in 2007.

Business then dropped 50 percent in 2008 and slowly picked back up in 2009, reported Zakhireh. He said as the economy recovers, so is his business. He expects this year’s numbers to match 2007’s. Nearly 80 percent of his patients are women, many of whom seeking surgery to stay employed.

“People are very insecure about their jobs,” he said. “They want to stay competitive.”

“I have women who fly across the country and have stated to me that. … They have tons of experience,” said Dr. Suzanne Quardt, chief of plastic surgery at the Eisenhower Medical Center. “They’ve been in the business a long time,” but, as the competition gets younger, older women feel the need to make permanent changes to their bodies, according to Quardt.

“Women in real estate, especially with the economy as it’s been, they feel a lot of competition to look really good,” she explained. “Also, with so many younger women coming out and getting real estate licenses, they feel like they’re competing. I hear that a lot.”

The trend these days are noninvasive surgeries, like Botox and soft-tissue fillers, according to plastic surgeons. Mainly, because they don’t keep patients out of work too long. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, more than 17 million procedures were performed in 2009.

But, the number of tummy tucks, face-lifts, breast implants and plastic surgeries fell by nearly 18 percent in 2009, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

The economy is to blame for the drop off. But, Zakhireh believes the economy may also be responsible for business picking back up again.

“Unfortunately, our society is more of a superficial society, especially on the West Coast,” he explained. So, we tend to judge based on our youth.”

“I just don’t want to be an old wrinkled prune,” said McKay. “It’s that simple.”

But, what happened to aging gracefully?

“I think this is aging gracefully without a doubt,” answered Farley.

All of the women included in this report said the goal is not to completely transform their looks. They just wanted to touch things up and hoped to avoid looking unnatural — a common criticism of celebrities like Joan Rivers, who has openly admitted to having plastic surgery.

“It’s not about trying to look 30. It’s not about trying to look fake, [and] it’s not about trying to look [like] who you’re not,” said Farley. “It’s about not having any aspect of you make you feel self-conscious.”

President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 into law less than two weeks after being sworn into office. The law is intended to give women and other victims of pay discrimination more tools to challenge unequal pay.

But, you can’t challenge pay without a job.

“I’ll probably work [until] I’m in my seventies, most likely,” said McKay. “By the time I retire, there will not be any Social Security.

“I’m hoping they see a middle-aged to older lady that is still eager to work and wants to do a good job for them,” said Munson.

“I wouldn’t trade 20s for 30s ever, where I was always a little bit self-conscious and not sure what to do about it,” said Farley. When I walk into a room, I’m confident with what I know, with what I sell and with who I am.”