I’m a psychologist – here’s the science behind beautiful privilege and how it can affect your career success

A psychologist has revealed the science behind the so-called ‘pretty privilege’ after a woman claims she was rejected from a job she was ‘perfect’ for because she went to an interview without wearing make-up.

Kamalyn Kaur, an accredited psychotherapist based in Glasgow, Scotland, said pretty privilege is a concept where people who are perceived as attractive by societal standards experience benefits for their appearance.

These may include preferential treatment, opportunities and benefits in certain areas of their lives, such as relationships, employment or social networks.

Melissa Weaver, 30, from New York, recently spoke about losing a job because she didn’t wear makeup to the interview and the hiring manager thought she ‘didn’t put enough effort’ into her appearance.

She went on to explain that she was all the more amazed by the decision because she had been told that her ‘background was exactly what they were looking for’, she had the right level of experience and her personal goals aligned with the company’s.

This led to a number of outraged people expressing how unfair the situation was, with some even sharing similar stories.

Speaking of Melissa’s experience, Mrs. Kaur told FEMAIL that snap judgments based on how people look have the potential to ‘affect your career path, relationships and other important elements of your life.’

She said: ‘Some research suggests that it takes the brain a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger based on their face.

“From this point onwards, it takes the brain seven seconds to form a solid impression of a person – which, again, is not much time.

“Within these short time frames, we don’t really have much to go by in terms of personality or characteristics, which means the brain is only basing judgments on appearance and how the person comes across.”

Ms Kaur said the beauty industry and social media are guilty of a certain amount of privilege, adding that they endorse and advertise that being beautiful opens doors.

“Beauty industries that emphasize certain physical characteristics as markers of attractiveness,” she said.

“This will be further emphasized through advertising, marketing and media that show people who look a certain way or have certain physical characteristics – again indicating that there is a preference for people to look a certain way.

“Social media has conditioned us to believe that attractiveness is directly related to success and desirability.

‘As a result of all these factors, society places a higher value on people who look a certain way and reinforces that attractiveness is linked to personal worth, success and social status.’

But while there are advantages to being beautiful, there are also disadvantages. Ms Kaur believes that important skills and qualities are often overlooked if you are considered just another pretty face.

Kamalyn Kaur, an accredited psychotherapist, said that social media and the beauty industry are to blame for the existence of “quite a bit of privilege”

Melissa Weaver (pictured), 30, claimed she was turned down from a job she was perfectly suited for because she wasn’t wearing make-up at the interview

She said it can also work the other way around, adding: “(It) leads to the wrong people being in certain roles – people may look the part but don’t have the skills or experience to do the job. ”

In terms of relationships, beautiful privilege can result in people being with others for the wrong reasons, along with overlooking toxic traits because they find their partner attractive.

“We’ve all heard of people being attracted to certain people for their looks, even though they knew they weren’t good for them,” Ms Kaur added.

‘(Pretty privilege) creates a world where everyone is obsessed with how they look. We are already seeing an increase in cosmetic surgery and the number of people getting fillers, Botox and hair implants.

‘The sad thing is that the confidence experienced as a result of these treatments is often short-lived – lasting only until the next uncertainty appears.

‘It is unfair to the people who are not on the receiving end of “quite privilege”, which creates anger, frustration, sadness and ultimately low self-esteem and confidence.’

But Ms Kaur said attractiveness will only take you so far, adding that eventually people will see past good looks.

“Even if you can get a head start, it’s no guarantee that you’ll finish.

“Appearances may get you through the door of a certain occupation, but it won’t be enough to keep you there. At the end of the day, you need the skills, qualities and experience to get ahead and succeed in life.

‘It’s also important to highlight that as humans we gravitate more towards people we like and trust, which again doesn’t come from looks, it will come from who you are as a person and how you treat others.’