It’s a plus, no doubt about it. If I understand correctly for most people teenage years are pretty difficult physically. My own teenage problems had little to do with the physical, although I was over-critical where I was (and am) less than movie star perfect. Physically I was blessed though.
Even as a little boy [a certain relative] warned me that lots of women would fall in love with my looks, but never marry me because I’m so difficult. Gee thanks.
Back to teenage years, a group of local girls started following me home, and sometimes loitering outside my place. This probably sounds good, and while over-nourishing for the ego and something I’m glad of, was actually something I had no capability of dealing with. So, nothing I’d call a girlfriend until late teens.
Then, there’s the competition. Once you start to trade in the looks game, it’s fierce and frightening. Further, once adult women awake to the massive advantage they have over men, by and large they become disinclined to match men halfway as far as effort goes. So looks, as such, don’t seem to count a whole lot.
By contrast, my sometime flatmate, taller and probably better looking than I, was also an actor. Extrovert, on stage, and sometimes screen. One week there were 3 one-night stands, which is a lot for a heterosexual man.
And then there’s the heterosexual issue. No matter how you look, or where you go, as a man trading on looks, the majority of the forward & overt sexual attention you will get, does come from homosexual men. Just so. I’ve complained about this numerous times on the board, but really it’s not a big problem. It’s just the injustice of it grates. On the other hand, that is a pretty hollow complaint. While a minority, I’ve had numerous attractive women make overt moves and succeed in starting relationships with me. Lucky me, I suppose.
Overall a plus, no doubt about it. Sinfully and wrongfully I take for granted having a coterie of female admirers. This week, acting on her invitation, I took to dinner, an attractive woman half my age. Last night in fact. Relationship wise though, it doesn’t help much at all in my experience. Looks are a pass-key to the first gate, but after that it doesn’t seem to count for much at all. I’ve never heard of a woman staying with a man for his looks, although the opposite obviously does happen. In fact, with some women the feeling is resentment, that they have been lured into intimacy by mere glossy appearance and now find an exit more difficult for the same reason.
)
But I thought there’s no point posting an answer to the OP unless I’m honest.