Job seekers invest in plastic surgery to compete

"Men and women in their 40's and 50's are competing with peers 10 to 15 years younger and employers naturally tend to go to a person who looks fresher and younger, despite who is better qualified," Greenberg said, adding that a lot of his patients view the surgery as an investment and are financing it with loans.

Plastic surgery loans can involve financing charges of 12 to 19 percent, according to industry experts.

In addition to the perceived competitive advantage from a face lift, some surgeons believe the recession is starting to cause more and more patients to get "work done" for an emotional lift in these dark times.

"I think when people are down about the economy, they want to do things to make them feel better," Greenberg said.

New York City plastic surgeon Steven Pearlman agreed.

"People are fed up and are starting to figure that it's time to live a little. Cosmetic surgery is about investing in yourself. It makes you look good and feel better about yourself, a dozen times a day when you look in the mirror," he said.