Statistics compiled by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) show that for those in the 51-64 age range:

• The number of facelifts dropped from over 75,000 in 2008 to just under 55,000 in 2009
• The number of Botox procedures increased from 672,840 in 2008 to 734,751 in 2009

“If you are a woman who has to come back to work full-time or a man who isn’t going to be able to retire any time soon, you’ve got to look like you can compete,” says Wendy Lewis, a New York–based plastic surgery and skin care consultant. “And if you are working in a field like media where everyone is really young, you don’t just want to look good for your age, you want to look good, period.”

Overall the number of facelifts in the U.S. dropped 29 percent from 2008 and eyelid surgeries dropped 23 percent during the same time frame, according to ASAPS. Meanwhile, Botox and Dysport injections increased 3.8 percent from 2008 to 2009.

Less invasive procedures have several benefits for those in the job market: they require less recovery time and are generally less expensive compared to cosmetic surgical procedures.

Lewis does point out that minimally-invasive treatments can be overdone. “There is a point at which you are going to have a better result and spend less money if you just have a facelift,” she says. In addition, there are some problems, like sagging jowls, that can only be fixed by surgery.

Skin Speaks Spa MD offers a wide array of cosmetic non-surgical procedures, including Fraxel, Thermage, IPL (intense pulsed light), and Juvederm.

Newsweek surveyed 202 corporate hiring managers and found that 56 percent of them said qualified but unattractive candidates are likely to have a harder time getting a job. More than half recommended spending as much time and money on “making sure they look attractive” as on perfecting a résumé.

When the hiring managers were asked to rate nine character attributes in order of importance for job candidates, looks came in third, after experience and confidence—and before where an applicant went to school.

The report also includes an interactive feature called “The Beauty Breakdown,” which estimates what a lifetime of cosmetic maintenance will cost a “modern diva.” Gathering data from a number of sources—including the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and Allure magazine—it looks at beauty costs from the tween years through 50 plus for American women, coming up with a lifetime total of $449,127.

For those in their 30s and 40s that included treatments like microdermabrasion, Botox, lip plumping, and laser varicose vein treatments, in addition to hair care, waxing, and tanning. For women over 50, chemical peels and deep line wrinkle fillers were added to the regimen.

For the lifetime total, the amount spent on the face was estimated at just over $314,000, more than treatments on hair, the body, and hands and feet combined.

In today’s economy, spending money on these treatments may not be “frivolous,” the magazine notes.

“Economists have long recognized what’s been dubbed the ‘beauty premium’—the idea that pretty people, whatever their aspirations, tend to do better in, well, almost everything. Handsome men earn, on average, 5 percent more than their less-attractive counterparts (good-looking women earn 4 percent more),” the report says.

Dr. Carney’s Skin Speaks Spa M.D., with five locations in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, offers a range of treatments to help you look your best, including Botox, chemical peels, and wrinkle fillers. (image via Newsweek.com)

First of all, you won’t need to choose if you see a qualified dermatologist or aeshthetician; they will recommend the best treatment. Your physician might ask how much time you have to allow healing after the treatment. If you’re anticipating an important social event like a wedding or vacation, then microdermabrasion is probably the best.

The depth of exfoliation is very precise with microdermabrasion, so you’re less likely to experience side effects like redness or swelling. The typical healing time with microdermabrasion is also very short – usually 3 days at the most.

Chemical peels come in many different formulas, from light to deep. But the healing time for most chemical peels is slightly longer than with microdermabrasion. If you can spare a week to let the skin heal, go for the chemical peel.

Sometimes an aesthetician will recommend doing both. If done carefully, a light chemical peel such as AHA or salicylic acid can work in combination with microdermabrasion. Just make sure you choose an aesthetician or surgeon that has experience combining these treatments.

• Read more about microdermabrasion in Mpls/St. Paul
• Read more about chemical peels at Skin Speaks Spa

So what are these magic 5 tips to “fight” aging and maintain your good looks?  Along with the practical advice – lift weights, tame your facial hair, gray hair, and lack of hair – Details (with help of a dermatologist) is encouraging their readers to save their skin by doing the following:

• In the morning, rub on both a moisturizer with SPF to protect against sun damage and a cream with vitamin C to help rebuild collagen and plump up your skin.
• At night, put on an anti-oxidant cream
• Get a gentle 20 percent glycolic-acid peel at the dermatologist’s office every couple of months.
• Get “Botoxed” and restore volume to the face with dermal fillers.