The Dangers of Looksmaxxing: A Growing Trend Putting Young Men at Serious Risk

Looksmaxxing has exploded in popularity on platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and dedicated forums, especially among teenage boys and young men. At its surface, it promises self-improvement: "maximizing" your looks to boost confidence, attract partners, and gain social advantages. It ranges from harmless grooming tips to extreme body modifications. But recent research (including 2025 studies from Dalhousie University and others) reveals a darker reality—this trend often fuels body dysmorphia, promotes dangerous practices, and can lead to severe mental and physical harm.

What Is Looksmaxxing?

Looksmaxxing means obsessively optimizing physical appearance according to rigid, often pseudoscientific standards of male attractiveness. Communities rate features like jawline sharpness, eye shape ("hunter eyes" with positive canthal tilt), facial symmetry, height, musculature, skin clarity, and more—sometimes assigning "ratings" out of 10. It splits into:

• Softmaxxing — Benign habits like skincare, haircuts, fitness, hydration, or "mewing" (pressing the tongue to the roof of the mouth to supposedly chisel the jawline).
• Hardmaxxing — Invasive steps: cosmetic surgeries (jaw implants, rhinoplasty, leg-lengthening), steroids/SARMs, peptides, human growth hormone, or DIY extremes like "bonesmashing" (hitting facial bones with hammers to supposedly induce regrowth for sharper features).

What starts as advice on hygiene or exercise often escalates into fixation on unattainable ideals, reducing self-worth to "sexual market value" or numerical scores.

Mental Health Risks: Body Dysmorphia, Demoralization, and Worse

The biggest danger is psychological. Looksmaxxing communities apply harsh, hegemonic critiques—calling faces "grotesque," asymmetries "failures," or low-rated users "subhuman." A 2025 Dalhousie University study analyzing thousands of forum posts found participants frequently face body shaming, humiliation, and "masculine demoralization"—being told they're inherently unlovable, doomed to failure, or better off dead because of unchangeable traits like height or bone structure.

This fosters:

• Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) — Intense preoccupation with perceived flaws, leading to obsessive checking, avoidance, or extreme interventions. Many users develop distorted self-perception, seeing normal features as defects.
• Anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem — Constant comparison to filtered ideals or "Chad" archetypes erodes confidence. Heavy exposure correlates with higher loneliness, suicidal ideation, and self-harm encouragement in forums.
• Toxic echo chambers — Posts often glorify suicide ("rope if sub-5") or extreme measures as the only escape, pushing vulnerable young men deeper into despair.

Research shows these spaces reinforce male supremacy while harming participants—many feel like "failed men," with some encouraged toward self-harm or suicide.

Physical Health Risks: From Pseudoscience to Real Damage

Extreme practices carry serious bodily harm:

• Mewing — No solid evidence it reshapes adult jaws (genetics dominate facial structure). Overdoing it risks jaw pain, TMJ issues, bite misalignment, or speech problems.
• Bonesmashing — Deliberate facial trauma (hammering bones) causes fractures, misalignment, nerve/vessel damage, deformities, vision issues, or permanent disfigurement—maxillofacial surgeons report treating related injuries.
• Steroids/SARMs/peptides/HGH — Unregulated online sources lead to hormone suppression, liver damage, cardiovascular risks, infertility, acne, aggression, or contaminated products causing infections.
• Surgeries (jaw, leg-lengthening, etc.) — Leg-lengthening is excruciating, with long recovery, infection risks, nerve damage, or unequal limbs. Cosmetic procedures carry anesthesia complications, scarring, dissatisfaction, or regret—especially if driven by BDD rather than realistic goals.

These aren't harmless experiments; they often stem from insecurity amplified by online pressure.

Why This Trend Is Spreading—and Why It's Concerning

Social media algorithms push looksmaxxing content (billions of views on mewing alone), targeting insecure teens with idealized male models. It overlaps with incel-adjacent ideologies, tying worth to appearance and blaming romantic failures on "looks." For young men facing body image pressures (once more female-focused), this creates new vulnerabilities—height obsession, steroid experimentation, or surgery quests for "Chad" status.

Parents, educators, and peers should watch for signs: obsessive mirror-checking, extreme dieting/exercise, secretive forum use, or sudden fixation on features like jawlines.

Safer Alternatives: Healthy Self-Improvement

Focus on evidence-based, balanced habits:

• Exercise for strength and mood, not extreme aesthetics.
• Skincare, grooming, and nutrition for confidence.
• Therapy or support groups if appearance fixation affects daily life.
• Limit toxic communities; curate feeds toward positive role models.

Looksmaxxing preys on insecurity with false promises—true confidence comes from self-acceptance, relationships, skills, and purpose, not numerical ratings or risky mods. If it's causing distress, anxiety, or harmful urges, reach out to a trusted adult, counselor, or hotline. You're more than your looks—don't let online trends convince you otherwise. If this resonates personally, talk about it; help is out there. Stay safe and grounded.