- Looksmaxxing, a social media-driven trend encouraging men to aggressively “improve” their looks, is gaining popularity.
- It falls under similar appearance-based trends, like softmaxxing and hardmaxxing.
- While often framed as self-improvement, experts warn these practices can trigger body image issues, anxiety, eating disorders, and even risky behaviors.
- Adolescents may be particularly susceptible due to a number of reasons, such as digital narratives about masculinity and self-worth.
A increasing trend on platforms like TikTok and Instagram is encouraging young men to “maximize” their appearance.
Known as the looksmaxxing craze, the movement focuses on attaining the “perfect” face and body. It mirrors comparable online trends, known as softmaxxing and hardmaxxing, which promote everything from rigorous grooming routines to cosmetic procedures and radical physical alterations.
While advocates say these behaviors can be empowering, therapists alert they can provoke body dysmorphia, anxiety, and other unhealthy patterns.
One mental health professional labeled looksmaxxing as a “social media-driven body dysmorphia trend.”
“Adolescents fall into this illusion of acceptance, and what they believe women want from them,” he explained. “They can get caught up in possibly lifelong struggles with feeling a sense of inadequacy and coping with that shortcoming.”
He went on to explain that “People will focus their energies on improving their physique based on emotions of inferiority or inadequacy.”
“Men can get stuck in a loop of trying to ‘optimize’ their appearance, but as mental health clinicians, we know that if you’re feeling not good enough or less than, those are the core problems to work on with a qualified professional.”
Exploring the Differences Among the Three Main Movements?
Although the language varies, the phenomena all have one thing in common: the drive to compulsively alter one’s looks.
“Looksmaxxing is fundamentally self-improvement put on steroids. It’s reframing the male body as something to be designed,” the counselor clarified.
Whereas the softer approach entails subtler changes to one’s looks, frequently accomplished through grooming and habit changes, hardmaxxing is more radical.
“It involves serious procedures to transform your looks, such as rhinoplasty, injectables, surgical hair restoration, and genioplasty. The obvious issue with this is that once you open that door, it’s hard to go back,” he pointed out.
Another licensed therapist explained the key distinctions.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good, and caring for your appearance can boost self-esteem and be gender affirming. But the major distinction is that looksmaxxing is rooted in self-loathing and trying to conform, at the cost of your well-being and safety,” she pointed out.
“Hardmaxxing, on the other hand, seems to be venturing into dangerous practices, especially some of its associated trends, like intentionally injuring facial bones with a hammer.”
Why Looksmaxxing Is Especially Popular Among Teenagers
What makes looksmaxxing appear to be resonating with young men in such high numbers?
One therapist explained that young men, particularly adolescents, are typically at a stage of their lives when they are still figuring out who they are, and many may be searching for ways to portray what they perceive as “the ‘ideal’ version of masculinity.”
He also suggests trends like this one may be connected to incel culture and the manosphere.
“It gained traction several years ago, with male gurus espousing certain views of masculinity. These types of ‘masculine’ figures have guided some men down a harmful path,” he commented.
Another specialist offered a additional viewpoint about possible contributing factors.
“Mental health issues and loneliness are also prevalent right now, making young men particularly susceptible,” she noted.
The Boundary Between Positive Self-Care and Unhealthy Behaviors
Recognizing the line separating caring for your looks and an damaging fixation with how you look can be challenging for many individuals.
“Self-improvement practices turn harmful when fear is the main motivator; when your rituals are consuming so much headspace that you can’t be present in your daily existence and connections,” one therapist said.
There are several risks linked to these types of detrimental patterns.
“Eating disorders and self-harm behaviours are often connected to body dysmorphia, anxiety, and poor self-worth,” she said.
“Men are at danger of experiencing embarrassment around their physiques due to societal messaging that they must be muscular and fit. And for some men, it can seem like a threat to their masculinity and self-esteem.”
The other counselor noted that, for some people who attempt to make purely superficial modifications to their body, it can open the door to harmful, obsessive psychological needs.
“It can spin out of control, and you may feel you need do something to help yourself feel better rather than being content in your own skin.”
In the end, he stated, positive personal growth typically isn’t represented by the type of self-care material that’s popular on social media platforms.
“It’s about nurturing yourself from the inside out,” he emphasized.
Strategies for Cultivating Body Positivity
Practising more body acceptance is not a process that happens overnight, but there are positive steps you can implement to begin that process.
Firstly, having complicated emotions about your body is valid and natural.
One therapist recommended “leaning into” that and discovering an outlet for it.
“Artistic expression is a great way to express those emotions in a way that might even be enjoyable. Try drawing, collaging, or making a book to document your journey,” she suggested.
Although social media use can worsen unhealthy behaviors and emotions, there are methods to reduce these risks.
“Subscribe to profiles that promote body positivity and healthy masculinity. Or engage with people who don’t fit into the narrow view of manhood promoted by society,” she
