A new self-help trend called “looksmaxxing” has taken over social media feeds, encouraging experimental tactics for often isolated young men to improve their looks and physique and raise their social status.

Looksmaxxing has been around fringe and involuntarily celibate communities and forums, known as the “manosphere,” since the mid-2010s. It began to spread across social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram in the early 2020s, and became a serious trend in 2022 and 2023. 

Many of the young men in manosphere communities turn to niche corners of the internet to find support and share their experiences with social ostracization. However, what they receive is not comfort, but hate. Swaths of men in similar situations urge these vulnerable and emotionally damaged young men to use extreme methods to alter their bone structure, hair and skin. 

What they are told is that if they do not become attractive, they will never feel better. 

Social media influencer and “looksmaxxer,” Arslan Ataev, based in Italy and known as Arc49 online, says feeling isolated in his teenage years led him to looksmaxxing. 

“That’s where those ideas stem from, the idea of improving myself to not feel the same way again, to not feel ashamed of myself,” Ataev said. 

The improvements looksmaxxing encourages are entirely physical, Ataev said. 

“The only thing that could change the way other people treat you is to fix superficial characteristics,” Ataev said. “There’s no such thing as improving personality.” 

The Halo effect — a well-researched theory that contends that one positive or negative impression of a person can influence their overall perception of that person — is often used to justify looksmaxxing. 

The assumption that good looks are what define a person is dangerous and encourages a generation of men to value physical appearance over emotional intelligence and personality, objectifying themselves and others. 

In a time where your appearance can be constantly scrutinized on social media, it makes sense that looksmaxxing has taken off. But while good looks will get you likes and followers, it won’t necessarily solve your own insecurities.

Grace Casto, a DePaul sophomore majoring in writing, rhetoric and discourse, doesn’t think these ideas of objectification started with the looksmaxxing trend. 

“It’s a result of the patriarchy, the idea that you have to look a certain way to be respected or receive love,” Casto said.

Generations of media have perpetuated the objectification of women, forcing them to conform to contemporary ideas of attractiveness and punishing those who don’t. 

“I feel like women have been looksmaxxing since the dawn of time,” Casto said. 

Now, young men are not only objectifying women but themselves, furthering an unhealthy obsession with attractiveness that runs much deeper than social media. This mentality is concerning and dangerous.

DePaul student Muaaz Ahmad agrees. 

“I feel like it’s actually taking over people’s lives,” said Ahmad, a sophomore majoring in computer science. “It’s too obsessive.” 

Like me, Ahmad is also concerned about the intense experimental practices of looksmaxxing itself. 

“Everyone should be taking care of themselves,” Ahmad said. “But don’t overdo it.” 

While some influencers focus on a balanced diet and workout routine known as “softmaxxing,” others use more extreme procedures known as “hardmaxxing.” The latter requires physical alterations and the use of a variety of experimental drugs and medications. 

One hardmaxxing practice that has gained notoriety on social media is known as bone-smashing. In an attempt to restructure one’s facial features, a person must repeatedly apply blunt force to prominent bones in their face creating micro-fractures. Hardmaxxers look to Wolff’s law and the idea that their faces will become more contoured and bones will become denser when exposed to stress. 

Despite the risk of disfiguration, dental damage and even brain injuries, influencers like Braden Eric Peters, known as Clavicular, garner huge followings when promoting these extreme methods. Clavicular is known online for his erratic behavior, promoting the use of illegal substances like meth, and acts of violence that recently led police in Florida to arrest Peters and his girlfriend for allegedly attacking a 19-year-old woman. 

Looksmaxxing influencers have gained recent success through before-and-after posts on social media showcasing dramatic glow-ups, as well as consistent livestreams giving viewers a glimpse of a life full of parties, women and money. 

But Ataev says that behind Clavicular’s millions of views, experimental practices and lavish lifestyle, is a business that profits off his viewers. 

“Once you become a part of that way of thinking, you’re automatically being sold his coaching program and his course,” Ataev said. 

Clavicular is not the only person cashing in on looksmaxxing. Hundreds of self-help gurus have flooded social media to try and cash in the growing male aesthetics market, which is currently worth $5.9 billion, according to Market.us. Even Ataev is a brand ambassador under contract for Based Bodyworks, a men’s skin and hair products company.

Preying on vulnerable young men whose realities are shaped by social media culture, looksmaxxing influencers use their popularity and fame to promote dangerous practices through their paywalled courses. Their teachings perpetuate what some see as a growing male loneliness epidemic and instill in young men the idea that themselves and others have no value unless they are attractive. 

As more and more extreme methods of physical alteration become popular and young men continue to ostracize themselves into niche and hateful communities, they exemplify long standing gender divides and promote the hatred of themselves and others. 

In a time when self love is important and community is everything, looksmaxxing seeks to pin people against each other in a never ending beauty pageant, where the only winners are the companies and people behind the most successful products, and their bank accounts.

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