There is a clear connection between social media and mental health issues such as body dysmorphia.

So it’s no coincidence that yet another beauty trend has hit the World Wide Web—this time, it’s sending young adults to either the plastic surgeon, or therapy.  

What is Looksmax?

Short for “looks maximization,” Looksmaxxing is the obsessive practice of doing everything humanly—and sometimes surgically—possible to improve your appearance. It’s a race to match today’s beauty standards. Despite its amusing name, it's a real internet trend—and, as you can guess, not entirely harmless.

The looksmax community never judges a book by its cover… except, wait—they do! According to them, a better jawline can land you a better job, a hotter lover, and maybe even a Nobel Prize. (This is a stretch, but if you lurk Reddit long enough, you’ll eventually find someone saying this.) This trend swept young netizens off their feet, and they’re doing everything they can to turn themselves into Barbies and Kens. 

How did Looksmaxxing start?

In 2010, looksmaxxing originated from the deeply charming and not-at-all-problematic incel forums, from men who believed genetics had doomed them to eternal rejection. It has since escaped and went viral on TikTok. Now, Gen Z post videos dissecting every nook and cranny of their bodies, discuss glow-ups, and share their under-the-knife experiences as if they underwent a spiritual renewal.

How to Looksmax

The looksmaxxing community is thorough in their methods, and they divide the practice into softmaxxing and hardmaxxing, which depends on your commitment level and pain tolerance.

Softmaxxing

Softmaxxing is the beginner-friendly level, focusing on things anyone can do to improve their overall appearance without much effort. For example:

• Basic hygiene: Clean clothes, showering every day, brushing your teeth at least twice a day
• Good health: Eating real food (instead of living on Doritos and Mountain Dew) will have you nimble and healthy
• Skincare routine: Yes, even men can benefit from using more than one soap when washing their face in the morning

Hardmaxxing

Hardmaxxing is for the hardcore ones who are willing to go under the knife to enhance their appearance. Want a different nose? A jawline that could cut glass? Hardmaxxing is where things get surgical.

How to Looksmax for Men

Men can either soft or hard-maxx. Some methods for softmaxing are disputed. Many mewing influencers end up selling you contraptions that you can place in your jawline to look better (or so they say.) But is this true or a ripoff? Better trust a friend rather than an influencer. This is how men can looksmax:

Softmaxxing:

• Hit the gym and pack on some muscle
• Stop drinking or smoking, since it bloats you
• Get a signature fragrance that will make you recognizable and irresistible
• Lose some body fat and eat better
• Start mewing to define your jawline more
• Manscape, unless you're auditioning for a MrBeast survival video

Hardmaxxing:

• Jawline surgery, to make you look like Handsome Squidward
• Eye surgery to transform your “prey eyes” into “hunter eyes”
• Hair transplants, another reason why you should visit Turkey

How to Looksmax for Women

Women can looksmax by taking care of their skin, hair, and dressing to impress. These are common starting points before considering surgery.

Softmaxxing:

• Lustrous hair
• A skincare routine, especially if you’re acne-prone
• Hitting the gym (obvious one, though)
• A makeup routine for each occasion
• Dressing like you have a Pinterest board

Hardmaxxing:

• Rhinoplasty, because a button nose is all the rage
• Using fillers
• Eyelid surgery for that doe-eyed look, or just microblading
• Liposuction and BBLs
• Rib repositioning (yes, really)

What are the Risks of Looksmaxxing?

Before you sell your soul to the local plastic surgeon, let’s get real. Looksmaxxing should be either a joke or a reminder to look your best, and not an identity crisis.

Young men and women are increasingly feeling more concerned and dissatisfied with their appearance. Suicide remains a leading cause of death among young people in the U.S., with male suicide rates in 2021 being four times higher than female rates. What’s more, scrolling through social media (exactly where looksmaxxers flare up) for more than three hours per day increases the chances of developing mental health issues such as body dysmorphia.

So please—shower, moisturize, brush your hair once in a while. It’s okay to groom yourself and try to be your best version. But don’t empty your bank account for cheekbone implants. Nothing will make you more successful than confidence.