Why are looks so important?

@ninalanyon Best answer.

@ninalanyon does it still apply today, with plastic surgery and Botox?

@Ghostinthemachine Probably. Those things are are used by a vanishingly small fraction of the human population so they probably don't alter the evolutionary pressure much. But those things are also measures of success (health, wealth) so they probably act in broadly the same way anyway.

However, it occurs to me that Botox is probably mostly used by women who are nearer the end of the reproductive parts of their lives than the beginning so it probably has minimal effect for that reason too

I'm fairly sure I'm broadly correct and I have read fairly widely on the subject in the past but I'm strictly an amateur in the field so don't take my pronouncements too seriously.

@ninalanyon It seems that the use of age defying remedies are becoming more and more predominant, especially by those that can afford them, and even by those that can’t. And as marriages no longer hold together and people find themselves single again the latter part of their lives, looking good still remains important

@Ghostinthemachine That's true, I use retinol day and night creams myself to try to smooth my wrinkles a little. A month's worth is only the price of a few cups of coffee so I think most people in the west who have a reasonable income can probably afford it provided they don't buy the expensive brands.

@ninalanyon we do what we can, right?
Everyday it seems the person looking back at me in the mirror keeps looking older, sometimes shockingly so