If you've decided to take a trip down to Vegas, one of the first things you'll do is take in the shows and the performances. One of the staples of Vegas nightlife is the showgirls.

Vegas showgirls have the image of an ideal lifestyle. They get to parade around in high heels, colorful boas and dance to their hearts' content. Vegas is their playground, full of glitz, glamour, and phenomenal costumes a part of their daily routine.

What is there to hate? Actually, more than you think. Vegas Showgirls work extremely hard and their finished product does not come as easily as it seems.

Here are twenty sketchy things about Las Vegas showgirls that MGM would rather you not know about.

20 You Can Make An Actual Living!

As fun as this job seems, it is not one to take lightly. This is a professional job that takes years of training and stamina to perform properly. As showgirl manager Margaret Kelley states, she insists that her dancers be given fair wages, a 401 K and health insurance.

19 VERY tall!

As opposed to ballet dancers and gymnasts, Vegas showgirls have to be insanely tall. The minimum height requirement is 5'8", but even that's considered short! The ideal performers are between 5'10" and 6'2". And that's before heels!

18 Athleticism Becomes a Second Job

Vegas showgirls need to be strong and graceful dancers. But their physical condition needs to endure much more than that. They have to wear sky-high heels, carry heavy headpieces and severely bejeweled costumes, and prance around a stage for at least 90 minutes!

17 Escaping from Work is a Normal Occurrence

If a show-girl is off the clock, you may find her miles away from Vegas! Back in the '50s, the girls were expected to stay in Vegas and fraternize with the locals. But these days, showgirls can go into East Fremont and hit up Beauty Bar and the Commonwealth.

16 The Army is Tame Compared to Vegas Boot Camp

Dancers need to come into the game with training and talent. However, they go through more! Las Vegas boot camps last between 3 and 4 weeks, and they involve working on many aspects of the performance, including maintaining a smile for 90 minutes! This process separates the girls from the women.

15 A Third Career as a Professional Multi-tasker

Dancers need to excel in multi-tasking, particularly when it comes to their costume changes. In any given show, Vegas showgirls have up to eight costume changes. And it's not just slipping on a t-shirt and jeans. We're talking jeweled bustiers, elaborate headpieces, and their heels!

14 Mob Connections

Vegas used to be a hotspot for the gangsters, mob bosses and the dark market in the 1940s and '50s. They would often spend nights getting acquainted with the showgirls. Many of the dancers actually courted mob bosses! Veteran showgirl Lisa Malouf Medford said that she felt protected by them.

13 No Tattoos

If you had even the slightest idea of getting that long-awaited tattoo, better think again. Vegas showgirls, unfortunately, are not allowed to tattoo themselves. This is to uphold the outdated notion that showgirls should look clean and pristine. Unless you can hide it, you can't have this career.

12 Opens Doors for Careers

Whoever said that being a showgirl was not a great networking opportunity was dead wrong! Valerie Perrine is a Bafta-nominated actress who began her career in Vegas before pursuing acting. Felicia Atkins also began as a showgirl before catching Hugh Hefner's eye and becoming a Playmate.

11 Have the Reflexes of a Ninja

With all of the physical demands of their job, it's no wonder that showgirls fall over. However, the truest test of their talent is how quickly and naturally they get back up and continue. The audience can't know that something just went wrong, Thrillist explains.

10 Busts Were Measured (And I Don't Mean the Statues)

Certain shows require their dancers to go topless. According to industry legend Fluff LeCoque, she insisted that her dancers' busts be measured. That way, if they needed to go topless, it wouldn't take away from the costumes or the dance itself. This goes to show you that bigger isn't always better!

9 Be Your Own Makeup Artist

Showgirls need to be proficient in many aspects of their career, including their makeup. But here's a strange fact: Management painstakingly works on a dancer's wardrobe, but the makeup is another story. It's up to the dancers to get their famous performance-ready. Not as glamorous as you thought, eh?

8 Hide Your Wardrobe Malfunctions

Stealth is the name of the game in this department. If your bustier starts to slip or you feel your headpiece beginning to droop, then it's up to the showgirl to gracefully exit the stage and get it fixed. Never let the audience know you've had a slip-up!

7 Be a Tour Guide

Thought that it was enough to just perform twice a night in heavy costumes for 90 minutes? Nope! Some showgirls offer backstage tours for VIP guests. They show off their dressing rooms, where their costumes are hung and anything behind the scenes that an outsider wouldn't normally see.

6 Have Nerves of Steel

On top of their costumes and complicated routines, showgirls need to not be afraid of the show's special effects. One of the longest-running shows, Jubilee, involved 1000 pounds of dry ice, as well as five pounds of explosives! The dancers' nerves need to handle whatever comes at them during their performance.

5 Have the Memory of an Elephant

Having an off-day is not really an option for showgirls. They need to be "on" for every single performance. They have to know their fellow dancer's routines so that, if something goes wrong, they can jump in and save the show. They need to be both a performer and an understudy!

4 Queens of the Night-time

Vegas showgirls give their all on stage for multiple performances a night.... and then keep going! Many showgirls finish their shifts around midnight and then go enjoy Vegas. They usually don't get to bed before sunrise! And the most amazing part? They do the same thing the next evening!

3 Toplessness Depends on the Role

Contrary to popular films and tv shows, not every showgirl has to "bare it all." It all depends on the role. These women are known as "dancing nudes." We're still scratching our heads as to why they make more money... Oh well, it'll come to us at some point!

2 Heels are Higher Than Your Imagination

The heels are a staple of a showgirl's wardrobe. In spite of the performers being very tall, their heels should be at least three inches, and that's being generous. While the height of the heels isn't necessarily an issue, it can become complicated when navigating stairs, dance routines, and heavy costumes.

1 Have An Inheritance For Your Costumes

Rhinestones and feathers are more expensive than you think. When a popular show had to get one of their costumes replaced, they were granted a budget of $3 million! Taking into account the number of accessories, the number of costumes and the number of performers, it all adds up to a small fortune!