Caveat – our friends at the University of Dalhousie in Nova Scotia released a study on “Looksmaxxing” that was recently reported by the CBC news. (1)(2) For those who have been following us for a while, you know that recently, we have been writing a lot about how the “manosphere” is influencing youth and teen boys. Looksmaxxing is a concerning byproduct of the manosphere as you will read. This is a follow-up article to the one we just posted titled, “Masculinity Influencers Are Shaping How Young Men See Themselves – And It’s Affecting Their Mental Health” (3)
Imagine being a teenage boy today, scrolling through TikTok or Instagram, and suddenly coming across a flood of videos with titles like “Transform Your Jawline in 30 Days” or “How to Looksmaxx Your Face.” These videos promise quick fixes and dramatic enhancements to one’s appearance, all under the banner of “self-improvement.”
While at first glance this content may seem like a harmless push toward better grooming or fitness, it can sometimes draw you in like a black hole into a deeper and potentially dangerous trend known as “looksmaxxing.” and it’s gaining serious traction among “some” teens and young adults, especially teen boys. Looksmaxxing has also been the topic of a 2022 animated Netflix series called “Lookism” (4) which is a South Korean animated adaptation of the popular Naver webtoon of the same name. The story follows Park Hyung-seok, a high school student who, after enduring bullying due to his appearance, wakes up one day with a second body that is tall and conventionally attractive. He discovers he can switch between these two bodies, leading to a double life that explores themes of identity, beauty standards, and self-worth.
“Looksmaxxing” is the term used to describe the pursuit of maximizing one’s physical appearance. It often starts with basic self-care habits, like grooming and working out, but can escalate quickly to include extreme, sometimes risky methods, like cosmetic procedures or do-it-yourself (DIY) enhancements performed at home.
The goal? To achieve an idealized version of physical beauty often defined by rigid and unrealistic social media standards that teen girls will crave.
This movement finds its roots in online forums like looksmax(dot)org (5) , which is closely tied to a web of online communities known as the “manosphere.” (6) These forums promote not just appearance enhancement, but also serve as echo chambers for toxic ideas, including misogyny, nihilism, and self-loathing.
The looksmaxxing world breaks down into two main categories: “Softmaxxing” and “Hardmaxxing.”
Softmaxxing
This approach involves non-invasive, lifestyle-based methods that are generally low-risk. These include:
- Grooming and hygiene
- Skin care routines (cleansing, moisturizing, sunscreen)
- Haircuts, beard shaping, and dental care
- Healthy eating and regular exercise
- Posture improvement and confident body language
- “Mewing” (tongue posture exercises claimed to enhance jaw definition) (7)
- Updating personal style and wardrobe
Softmaxxing, when practiced in moderation, can be a healthy form of self-care. But the issue arises when these efforts become obsessive, driven by social comparison and the constant pursuit of perfection.
Hardmaxxing
Hardmaxxing refers to more extreme, invasive, and often expensive measures. This category includes:
- Cosmetic surgeries like rhinoplasty, jaw reshaping, or chin implants
- Non-surgical procedures like Botox or fillers
- Hair transplants and chemical peels
- DIY procedures like at-home fillers or even dangerous methods such as “face hammering” (8) to alter bone structure
- Steroid use and crash dieting to achieve rapid physical transformation
Many of these methods are glamorized within online forums and social media posts, often with little regard for the medical or psychological risks involved.
While personal improvement is not inherently problematic, looksmaxxing pushes young people toward unattainable beauty standards. The pressure to conform can lead to:
- Body dysmorphia
- Low self-esteem
- Depression, anxiety, and self-harm
- Risky or harmful behaviour, including unregulated procedures and steroid use
For teen boys, who are the primary audience for looksmaxxing content, his can create a toxic loop. They’re often encouraged to believe their social value depends on their physical attractiveness and that drastic changes are necessary to be accepted, loved, or respected.
At first glance, looksmaxxing seems like a superficial trend utilizing skincare tips, fitness advice, and grooming routines. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that for some, it becomes a dangerous gateway into radicalized online spaces, particularly those rooted in the “manosphere.”
Here’s how it happens; a teen boy stumbles into looksmaxxing content while feeling insecure or rejected. He’s told that his worth is tied to his jawline, his height, or his eye spacing. If he doesn’t “make it” through physical transformation, he’s not just unattractive, he’s unworthy. This black-and-white thinking primes him for the next step where he is drawn into communities that feed on that despair and promise to explain it.
That’s when the rhetoric shifts. What began as beauty advice morphs into toxic narratives such as, “Women are hypergamous.”, “Only 10% of men get all the attention.”, and “If you’re not born with good looks, you’re invisible.” Some forums go even further, pushing conspiracy-like content, blaming feminism, dating apps, and even entire ethnic or social groups for their perceived lack of success. It’s not just pseudoscience, it becomes a full-blown worldview.
In these echo chambers, bitterness is validated, anger is nurtured, and radical ideas are dressed up as “hard truths.” For some, this spiral ends in deeper involvement in incel ideology or even participation in extremist online communities that normalize misogyny and dehumanization.
The shift is subtle but powerful, moving from self-improvement to self-hatred, and then to hatred of others, primarily females.
To understand how looksmaxxing exploded in popularity with some teen boys, we need to go beyond TikTok and other social media platforms, and look at the deeper cultural and technological roots that allowed it to thrive, particularly its ties to incel (involuntary celibate) communities.
At its core, looksmaxxing is about optimizing one’s physical appearance, often to extreme lengths, in the hope of improving social and romantic outcomes. While this concept might sound like a standard self-improvement trend, it takes on a much darker tone in the corners of the internet where it originated.
Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok helped normalize the idea that appearance is currency. TikTok’s algorithm, for example, is often believed to favour conventionally attractive users, regardless of their follower count. (9) This created an environment where beauty isn’t just admired, it’s rewarded. Social media has amplified perfectionism, leading teen boys to feel an ever-increasing pressure to meet unattainable alpha male beauty ideals.
During the pandemic, with more people stuck indoors and turning to self-improvement, looksmaxxing gained traction. But its roots stretch back even further to male-dominated online forums like Reddit, lookism(dot)net (2018), which is no longer available, many of which are closely associated with incel subcultures.
Historically, women have been the primary targets of beauty standards. That hasn’t changed, but in recent years, men have also come under growing pressure to embody ideals of masculinity such as sharp jawlines, broad shoulders, flawless skin. Research shows that most looksmaxxing content is targeted toward men, mirroring this shift.
Within incel communities, physical attractiveness is seen as the only viable path to success in dating, work, and life. Looksmaxxing becomes not just a choice, but a survival strategy. This is where the trend becomes disturbing. In these spaces, looksmaxxing is not about feeling better, it’s about curing deep-seated insecurities with external, often harmful changes.
Today, the main online spaces shaping this subculture is Looksmax.me (now rebranded as Looksmax.org as of 2024). This site caters to users seeking actionable tips on improving their appearance. Discussions include everything from mewing and skincare routines to dieting and posture correction. However, it also promotes risky practices like face hammering and at-home orthodontics. Looksmax(dot)org has become an echo chamber of insecurity, reinforcing toxic ideologies and fostering obsession with appearance.
Women are frequently dehumanized on these platforms, referred to as “femoids” and stereotyped in crude, misogynistic ways. The forums often reject the idea that self-worth can exist outside of physical attractiveness and promote “black pill” ideology, the belief that those deemed unattractive are doomed to fail no matter how hard they try.
Some teen boys begin their journey on looksmaxxing forums and gradually become radicalized, moving into more extreme online manosphere spaces , where conversations shift from self-improvement to open resentment and, in some cases, hatred, violence, including self-harm.
Where there’s insecurity, there’s someone ready to exploit it. The looksmaxxing community has given rise to a slew of predatory “coaches” who offer expensive, often useless supplements (10) or dangerous advice. These self-proclaimed experts, often operating on TikTok, Instagram, and within forums, claim to offer custom guidance to help men achieve a “Chad transformation.”, an incel term!
They promise facial analyses, grooming hacks, surgical suggestions, and guaranteed results, all without credentials or scientific backing.These services can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, with no real benefit provided.
The world of looksmaxxing isn’t just about beauty. It’s about vulnerability, toxic comparison, and a deeply flawed system of value rooted in appearance. While it might present itself as a form of self-improvement, at its core, it’s a desperate response to systemic pressures and societal expectations, and it’s one that often leads users down a dark and dangerous path.
As we stated earlier, where there’s vulnerability, there’s often someone ready to exploit it, and the looksmaxing space is no different. These forums and TikTok comment sections have become hunting grounds for self-proclaimed “looksmaxxing experts” who offer personal coaching, promising to turn any average guy into a so-called “Alpha Chad.”
What do they offer? For a hefty price, they’ll claim to analyze your facial symmetry, your jawline angle, your posture, and even your skin tone. They’ll suggest routines, diets, workouts, grooming habits, and in some cases, straight-up surgical procedures, all under the illusion of scientific precision. But in reality, most of these services are built on pseudoscience, marketing buzzwords, and false hope. (11)
Many of these so-called coaches charge hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars for advice that’s often vague, recycled from Reddit threads, or dangerously unregulated. They use high-pressure sales tactics, buzzwords like “guaranteed results,” “black pill escape,” or “full Chad transformation,” and display fake credentials to establish false credibility. In truth, most of them have no training in dermatology, fitness, psychology, or personal development.
This kind of exploitation isn’t just about draining wallets, it’s about feeding insecurities for profit. And when clients inevitably fail to meet impossible standards, they’re blamed for “not trying hard enough,” reinforcing the idea that the problem isn’t the system, it’s them.
As we have expressed in this article, looksmaxxing isn’t just about haircuts and gym routines, it’s a modern language of insecurity, shaped by algorithms and amplified in online echo chambers. For some teens, it’s harmless self-improvement. For others, it’s a gateway to self-loathing and extremist beliefs dressed up as empowerment.
So what can you do a a parent, caregiver, or educator?
Don’t mock it. Ask about it.
If your teen brings up terms like looksmaxxing, bone smashing, or mewing, your first instinct might be to laugh or express disbelief. Resist that urge.
Instead, be curious, not critical. Ask them:
- “What got you interested in this?”
- “Where did you first hear about it?”
- “How does it make you feel when you see these posts?”
You might be surprised how open your teen becomes if they don’t feel judged. Teens are often looking for guidance, not lectures. By meeting them with openness, you create a space where they feel safe sharing more in the future.
Teach critical thinking, not just “don’t go there.”
It’s tempting to just ban certain apps or subreddits or social media platforms and be done with it. But that approach doesn’t address the underlying question your teen is really asking which is, “Am I good enough?”
Instead, help them question the content they’re consuming:
- “Who gains when you believe you’re not attractive enough?”
- “Do you think the advice you’re seeing is based on real science, or is it playing on insecurities?”
- “What does “attractive” even mean, and does it change depending on the person or culture?”
The goal isn’t to ridicule their interest, but to arm them with the tools to see through manipulative messaging and unrealistic ideals.
Watch for signs of withdrawal or despair.
While some teens may explore looksmaxxing out of curiosity, others may be engaging with it in response to deeper struggles. If your teen is:
- Obsessing over perceived flaws,
- Avoiding social situations,
- Talking negatively about their appearance or future,
- Or becoming increasingly isolated, it could be a sign of anxiety, depression, or body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Looksmaxxing might be the surface-level symptom of something much more serious. Check in regularly and non-judgmentally. If you’re concerned, consider speaking to a healthcare professional who understands adolescent mental health.
Talk early and often about self-worth.
Don’t wait until your teen is down a black hole of online forums to start conversations about confidence, self-image, and what makes someone valuable.
Help them explore ideas like:
- “What do you admire in your friends? Is it mostly about how they look?”
- “What makes someone a good partner, a good friend, or a good person?”
- “How do you want others to see you, and how do you see yourself?”
Emphasize that attractiveness is subjective, and true self-worth comes from character, compassion, resilience, and authenticity.
Keep the digital dialogue open.
Looksmaxxing communities often thrive in secrecy and shame. The more your teen feels they have to hide their online life from you, the more susceptible they become to harmful ideologies.
Instead of monitoring or punishing, focus on digital mentorship. Say things like:
- “I want to understand what you’re into online.”
- “I know there’s a lot of weird stuff out there, let’s figure it out together.”
- “Even if I don’t get it at first, I promise I’ll listen.”
When your teen sees you as someone they can trust to help them navigate digital culture, rather than just shut it down, you become a powerful ally in their journey toward healthy identity development. Your teen needs to understand that they can come to you no matter what, and that you will always love them no matter what!
Looksmaxxing, while initially framed as a harmless push for better self-care or fitness, is far more than a superficial trend. For many teens, especially boys, it has become a toxic black hole where personal insecurities are exploited, unrealistic ideals are normalized, and self-worth becomes synonymous with physical appearance. What starts as a desire to feel more confident can quickly escalate into a cycle of obsession, self-loathing, self-harm, and even radicalization within dangerous online communities.
This isn’t just about jawlines and skincare routines. It’s about a cultural shift where young men are being told that they are inherently deficient unless they conform to hyper-specific, unattainable beauty standards. These messages are amplified by algorithms, monetized by self-proclaimed “experts”, and weaponized in manosphere forums where misogyny, nihilism, and black-and-white thinking flourish. What looksmaxxing often disguises as “self-improvement” is, in many cases, a conduit to deeper psychological and physical harm and radical ideologies.
Parents, educators, and caregivers need to understand that this isn’t a fringe issue, it’s increasingly mainstream in the digital lives of teens. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, and countless forums are teeming with content that praises aesthetic transformation while quietly nurturing body dysmorphia and low self-worth. We must resist the urge to dismiss these videos as vanity or harmless teenage experimentation. Instead, we must treat looksmaxxing as a red flag that deserves attention, empathy, and open conversation.
The most powerful tool parents, caregivers, and educators have is connection. Rather than lecturing or banning, we must listen and ask thoughtful questions: such as, “What do you think makes someone attractive?”, “Do you feel pressure to look a certain way?”, “Where do you think those ideas come from?” These conversations build trust and open the door to discussions about self-esteem, digital literacy, agency, and critical thinking.
We must also challenge the underlying message of looksmaxxing that a person’s value is determined by how they look. Whether through education, mental health support, or digital literacy, we need to reinforce that self-worth comes from within and not from a “perfect” jawline, a skincare routine, or a YouTube tutorial.
Ultimately, looksmaxxing is a mirror reflecting our culture’s fixation on appearance and it’s our responsibility as parents, caregivers, and educators to shift the narrative. Let’s help teen boys understand that they are more than their image. Let’s give teen boys the tools to see through the filters, the forums, and the false promises. Let’s stand between them and the toxic voices telling them they’ll never be good enough. Because they already are!
Related Resource:
We’ve put together a comprehensive resource guide on our website called “Parent, Caregiver, and Educator Resource Guide: Understanding and Addressing Youth Online Radicalization.” It includes everything you need to better understand the manosphere, online radicalization, and how we can respond effectively as parents, caregivers, and educators. (12)
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech
References
2/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40069550/
4/ https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/81177634
7/ https://aaoinfo.org/whats-trending/is-mewing-bad-for-you/
9/ https://centennialworld.com/tiktok-new-tumblr-counters-body-positivity-movement/
10/ https://looksmax.org/threads/list-of-supplements-for-looksmaxxing.157086/
