Workplace Beauty Standards Have Intensified | Need to Know Briefing Spotlight

February 19, 2026

Key takeaways:

Professional appearance expectations have escalated as accessible beauty technologies — from Botox to GLP-1 medications to AI-enhanced headshots — create new pressures on workers. The result: "being hot is now a job requirement," as Business Insider bluntly put it. For HR leaders, this trend raises serious questions about hiring bias, age discrimination, and what "professional appearance" actually means in 2025.

Why are beauty standards intensifying now?

The tools to meet conventional beauty standards have never been more accessible. Filters, Facetune, advanced skincare, weight-loss medications, and high-end fitness options have moved what was once reserved for models and actors into the mainstream professional world.

The numbers tell the story: Botox usage has nearly doubled between 2019 and 2024, jumping from just over 5 million users to nearly 10 million, according to Business Insider. Meanwhile, 20% of workers age 45 and older say they'd consider cosmetic procedures if it improved their chances of landing a job or promotion, per the Centre for Ageing Better.

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have added another layer. SHRM research found that 11% of HR professionals admitted an applicant's weight has played a role in hiring decisions at their organization. The implicit message to workers: you can — and therefore should — be thin.

As one expert told Business Insider: "If people think that they can get further in their career by throwing some Botox in their forehead, they're going to keep doing it. The sad part is, in many ways, I think they're probably not wrong."

Is this just a women's issue?

No. While women — particularly those navigating ageism in corporate environments — face the most acute pressure, men are increasingly affected too.

Plastic surgery among men "boomed" after the pandemic, partly driven by people staring at themselves on Zoom calls and the rise of remote work enabling recovery time. One Beverly Hills plastic surgeon told The Wall Street Journal that demand from "tech guys" has increased fivefold over the past five years.

The competitive job market is fueling this: experts say cosmetic procedures offer men "an opportunity to improve their confidence" in an environment where looking older can be a liability.

How is AI changing the equation?

AI-generated professional headshots have democratized access to polished profile photos. Services now offer "well-lit, flawless" images that were previously out of reach for most job seekers — leveling the playing field in some ways, while raising the stakes for everyone.

Research published in Marketing Science found that profile pictures on hiring platforms are a "design choice that can impact hiring and matching outcomes." Candidates who "look the part" are more likely to be hired — despite no strong correlation between appearance and actual job performance.

The catch: now that everyone has access to enhancement tools, the pressure is on for everyone to use them.

What does this mean for hiring?

The data on "pretty privilege" in hiring is uncomfortable but clear. A ResumeTemplates.com survey of more than 800 hiring managers found that 53% admit physical features influence their hiring decisions. Forty percent said they would choose a conventionally attractive candidate over a more qualified one.

Female candidates face the harshest scrutiny, judged more on traits like attractiveness, weight, and age. And many hiring managers acknowledge looking up candidates' photos before interviews — making LinkedIn profile optimization a de facto appearance competition.

As Dr. Carole Easton of the Centre for Ageing Better noted: "It is so dispiriting to see the drastic steps that older workers are forced to consider in order to get a level playing field in the workplace."

What should HR leaders do?

This trend puts HR in a difficult position. Appearance bias is real, often unconscious, and increasingly difficult to separate from "professional presence." A few considerations:

Audit your interview process. Are hiring managers reviewing candidate photos before interviews? Consider whether that step is necessary — or whether it's introducing bias.

Train for awareness. Unconscious bias training should explicitly address appearance-based judgments, including weight, age, and conventional attractiveness.

Examine your culture. What signals does your organization send about appearance expectations? Are there unwritten dress codes or "polished" standards that disproportionately burden certain groups?

Watch the legal landscape. Weight discrimination protections are expanding in some jurisdictions. Age discrimination is already illegal. As beauty tech makes "enhancement" more accessible, the line between personal choice and employer expectation will get murkier.

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