Looking for a job? Make sure you don’t have any serious complexion problems, say researchers at Rice University and University of Hudson.
Scientists Mikki Hebl (Rice University) and Juan Madera (University of Houston) have found that job searchers may find it more difficult to get hired if they’ve got a birthmark, scar, or are breaking out – any blemish that is very visible on the face.
The researchers conducted mock interviews with two groups of applicants: one with obvious facial blemishes and another without. They found that the interviewers, even those who were very experienced, tended to be distracted by the facial blemishes of applicants. They looked at the blemishes while applicants spoke, and not at the typical area of concentration (the area around the eyes and mouth). Their distraction caused the interviewers to remember less information about them, particularly regarding their qualifications, inadvertently reducing their chances of receiving a favorable evaluation.
A clear complexion could help a lot if you’re looking for a job. You may want to address the blemishes you have before you start going in for interviews. Tip: discolourations can be corrected with fraxel skin resurfacing, chemical peels can help with acne and fillers can help with serious wrinkles.