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Beauty pays but does investment in beauty?

Author

Listed:
  • Soohyung Lee

    (University of Maryland and MPRC, USA, and IZA, Germany)

Abstract

Being beautiful gives a person an advantage in many settings. Attractive people earn more and have an easier time getting hired. People spend large amounts of money on goods and services to enhance their beauty. Is this enhancement worth pursuing? Research suggests that the expected improvement in beauty from these goods and services is limited. Therefore, despite the large returns from having an attractive appearance, the cost-effectiveness of investment in beauty enhancement is ambiguous. For the average person, the monetary benefits of plastic surgery, medical treatments to increase height, and expensive clothing are not worth the cost.

Suggested Citation

  • Soohyung Lee, 2015. "Beauty pays but does investment in beauty?," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 198-198, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izawol:journl:y:2015:n:198
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Soohyung Lee & Keunkwan Ryu, 2012. "Plastic Surgery: Investment in Human Capital or Consumption?," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(3), pages 224-250.
    2. Nicola Persico & Andrew Postlewaite & Dan Silverman, 2004. "The Effect of Adolescent Experience on Labor Market Outcomes: The Case of Height," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(5), pages 1019-1053, October.
    3. Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Meng, Xin & Zhang, Junsen, 2002. "Dress for success--does primping pay?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 361-373, July.
    4. Nicola Persico & Andrew Postlewaite & Dan Silverman, 2001. "The Effect of Adolescent Experience on Labor Market Outcomes: The Case of Height, Third Version," PIER Working Paper Archive 04-013, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, revised 15 Mar 2004.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jan Fidrmuc & Boontarika Paphawasit & Çiğdem Börke Tunalı, 2017. "Nobel Beauty," Working Paper series 17-27, Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    beauty premium; plastic surgery; physical attractiveness; discrimination; height;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
    • J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination
    • D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics

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