What is looksmaxxing, and does it actually work?

Maximising your aesthetic, performance, and charisma is not a new idea for young men. Committing to constant self-improvement is admirable, but going too far and losing sight of the bigger picture is a trap so many fall into in a world of TikTok trends and Reddit threads.

Enter “looksmaxxing”. A phenomenon that you’ve probably seen thrown about online and offline. In this guide, we’ll explore what it’s all about, whether it’s true, and the little habits that can make you the best possible version of yourself.

So, what actually is looksmaxxing?

Looksmaxxing is doing whatever you can to maximise your physical appearance through wholesale lifestyle changes and cosmetic upgrades. It runs the gamut from improving your fitness to full-scale plastic surgery and other extreme methods.

The looksmaxxing community might sound alright, but what it really is, if you look into this trend, is young men competing to be the next extreme beauty queen. It's become an Internet culture that's actively harming young men and has big links to incel culture.

More and more blokes have been drawn towards the idea of maximising their aesthetics. For example, the inaugural Male Confidence Index found that Australian men rank just 63/100 on the confidence scale [1].

The truth is that wanting to change something about yourself physically is a time-honoured tradition. On the other hand, there’s no doubt that there’s something of an obsession, which the looksmaxxing concept embodies. According to the Australian Psychological Society, the proportion of men dissatisfied with their looks tripled from 15% to 45% in just 25 years [2].

It should be mentioned that looksmaxxing can also be split into the following:

1. Softmaxxing – Improving hygiene, fitness, and style, such as by focusing on hygiene, posture, and general fitness.
2. Hardmaxxing – Extreme interventions, including surgery.

Teaching men and young people – Where does looksmaxxing come from?

Looksmaxxing became a concept in the 2010s on involuntary celibate “incel” message boards. It’s part of the radical manosphere community, known for its extreme masculinity stance, and the original purpose of looksmaxxing was to improve your chances of getting into romantic or sexual relationships.

Since the 2020s, though, it has been pushed into the mainstream and focuses less on niche, extreme procedures. That’s why there’s now a divide between softmaxxing, promoted by mainstream discussion, and hardmaxxing, pushed by influencers like Clavicular.

The latter is considered to be extremely dangerous, playing on the fears and insecurities of young boys and men. The science highlights how big the problem is, with body dissatisfaction among youths increasing [3]. In Australia, males are also more likely to experience muscle dysmorphia [4].

In particular, social media is having an adverse impact on younger men and teenage boys. One Australian study found that men between 18 and 30 who saw bare-chested images of male influencers had much lower body satisfaction rates than other men [5].

A quick history of male beauty standards

Male beauty standards have always been a thing, ranging from the athletic, muscular physiques of ancient times to the lean yet muscular looks of today. It’s why, today, men still make up 16.1% of all cosmetic surgeries worldwide [6].

Here’s a quick summing up of historical male beauty standards:

• Ancient and Classical – Egyptians wore wigs and makeup, whereas Greeks preferred aesthetic, muscular bodies.
• Late 19th Century – Being overweight was considered highly attractive because it showed off a person’s wealth.
• 1920s – 1950s – The Hollywood Era made being lean and fit popular, with thin waists and broad shoulders taking centre stage.
• 1960s – Traditional muscle was rejected in favour of leaner looks. This formed part of the counter-cultural rejection of traditional male beauty standards.
• 1980s – Men changed once again in the 1980s, and it became idealised to have massive muscles carved out in the gym, with extreme levels of definition.
• Present Day – Physiques remain highly prized, but people are leaning more towards less-defined bodies. In other words, social media and Western media push the idea of being lean yet muscular.

Why chasing the social media algorithm is exhausting

Looksmaxxing is essentially chasing a social media algorithm. It’s a movement that pushes beauty to obsessive levels. Simply following the trends means hours of daily work, endless chunks of cash, and the mental and emotional toll of forever trying to keep up.

That’s partly why so many Aussies are experiencing severe mental health problems. Today, 17% of Aussies experience an anxiety disorder [7]. And to make things worse, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) found that over 40% of men between 16 and 24 reported a mental health disorder in the last year, up a staggering 26% from 2007 [8].

What we’ve learned is that constant self-objectification at the mercy of an algorithm driven by fear, insecurity, and unrealistic physical expectations is harming rather than helping men.

In reality, healthy eating and healthy living are more than enough to give you the confidence you need to be who you truly are.

Pretty hurts – Looksmaxxing myths vs. facts

Looksmaxxing has spawned a so-called “pretty hurts” culture within online communities to justify extreme practices like mewing and bone smashing. Most of these practices are dangerous to your long-term health at worst and, at best, relatively ineffective.

So, do any of these looksmaxxing strategies actually work?

Mewing

Mewing involves resting your tongue on the roof of your mouth to change your face permanently. Supposedly, these tongue exercises build higher cheekbones and a chiselled jawline.

In reality, though, there’s no real scientific evidence that shows that you can sculpt your jawline just by changing where you put your tongue. In most cases, the “miracle” photos are really just from improved posture and general fitness, rather than actual changes to the skeleton.

Bone Smashing

Also known as bone hammering, the idea is that hitting your jaw, cheekbones, and the rest of your face with heavy objects creates micro-fractures that heal stronger and thicker. It essentially plays on how muscles grow through micro-tears when you go to the gym.

What you’re actually looking at are results like:

• Facial deformities
• Tooth loss
• Nerve damage
• Blindness

Sun exposure overload

Crafting a golden-skin look through sun-exposure overload is exactly what it sounds like. It means heading out into the sun and burning yourself to a crisp because it supposedly helps with tanning. It’s entirely false, as we know two out of three Australians will get skin cancer during their lives because of UV radiation from the sun [9].

The sad part is that excessive exposure to the sun prematurely ages your skin, which often makes you look worse.

Cold water therapy

Extreme cold water therapy can reduce acute inflammation and provide a temporary, tighter appearance of the skin. It’s also good for overall circulation, but in looksmaxxing, it’s marketed as a way to sculpt away signs of bloat. Again, there’s no evidence that it will permanently change your facial structure.

5 things that quietly do more than you’d think 

Looksmaxxing as an idea isn’t inherently a bad thing. What really matters for changing your look and boosting your self-esteem isn’t extreme or dangerous practices, but building the pillars of foundational health.

The best part is that simple changes to your day can make the biggest difference of all. Moreover, these practices aren’t just long-lasting but will also make you a healthier human as a whole.

So, what can you do to really maximise your looks?

1.    Sleep

It’s known as beauty sleep for a reason. Consistent, high-quality sleep improves your appearance by increasing blood flow to the skin, repairing cellular damage, and stimulating collagen production.

The Sleep Health Foundation recommends getting between seven and nine hours of sleep a night [10]. Do it regularly, and you’ll achieve that radiant complexion, get fewer wrinkles, and reduce inflammation.

2.    Sunlight

Getting outside and into the sun for short periods can make you look healthy rather than charred. UV rays are harmful, but moderate, controlled sunlight helps your skin produce vitamin D and boosts your mood. Of course, always wear proper protection because excessive exposure just leads to premature aging.

3.    Exercise

It goes without saying that if you want to improve your body composition and get that lean, athletic figure, social media praises that you need to be getting your steps in. You don’t need to become a gym rat, but regular exercise three to five times a week, including cardio and some strength work, will make a world of difference.

4.    Nutrition

You are what you eat.

Too many beers and too many burgers will leave you looking far less than your best. Proper nutrition is balanced, but it’s also about filling yourself up with fruits and vegetables that are packed full of all the essential nutrients and minerals needed to keep you looking your best.

Talk to your GP about dieting safely, or take a look at dedicated holistic weight loss programs, like Pilot’s Weight Reset program. That's how you give your body the fuel it needs without prompting disordered eating habits.

5.    Hair loss ( don’t wait for the Norwood Reaper)

Losing your hair doesn’t have to be inevitable, even though the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) says it’s extremely common [11]. These days, there are more treatment options than ever, and the earlier you start, the better the chance you’ve got of reclaiming your locks.

Talk to your doctor about the different options for dealing with male hair loss. It could include hair transplants, topical treatments, or medically-backed solutions like Pilot’s Hair Loss Treatment. Either way, your first move is to schedule an appointment with your GP to find out your options. 

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