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"Looksmaxxing" pressures men to meet an unrealistic physical ideal, risking their health.

Excessive focus on appearance has been linked to anxiety, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders.

Parents and caregivers should discuss values, self-care over appearance with young people.

Of all the times that I’ve been burnedBy now, you’d think I’d have learnedThat it’s who you look like, not who you areYou all keep that in mind

—Jackson Browne (1977)

Social pressures on physical appearance are not new. Girls and young women have sustained a thinness imperative from the flappers in the 1920s through the present. Social media compounds the ideal of thinness for women by associating it with beauty, wealth, success, and belonging.

Boys and young men have been influenced far less, though for some not insignificantly. Witness the bodybuilding and action figure dominance from the 1960s to 1980s, as exemplified by superheroes and the V-taper focus of The Terminator. And now, for boys and young men, the emphasis on physical appearance has been captured and promoted by social and streaming media. Witness the ultimate extreme—looksmaxxing.

What Is Looksmaxxing?

Looksmaxxing is an online trend used by young men to “maximize” their appearance according to prescribed, mathematical metrics that follow a prescribed paradigm. The sole emphasis is on modifying one’s physical stature to achieve self-improvement.

It has all the earmarks of a cult, led by Braden Peters, known as Clavicular, an online streamer who posits that the ideal of male attractiveness and “sexual market value” is appearance. Clavicular has developed a series of looksmaxxing words and phrases that capture who you are—“subhuman” (totally inferior), “normie” (normal), “Chad” (white, muscular, affluent). And during streaming, he has conducted “mogging,” the process of comparing an individual who's clearly out of line with the “ascendant” metrics with one who is close to “perfection.” This kind of humiliation, narcissism, and toxic masculinity is a notable feature of looksmaxxing.

The techniques to achieve predetermined physical appearance, such as precise metrics for waist size, muscularity, jawline, and “hunter eyes,” angled slightly upward, may be achieved in several ways:

Softmaxxing includes grooming procedures such as skin care and “mewing” (putting the tongue up toward the palate to lengthen the jaw, which does not work).

Hardmaxxing includes “bone smashing,” using various tools to bash and alter the jaw; surgical procedures, such as forms of cosmetic surgery; substance use (steroids, testosterone injections, weight loss drugs), and restrictive dieting (“starvemaxxing”).

These processes have been embedded in online platforms that embrace toxic communities that promote a distorted vision of masculinity, misogyny, and, to some extent, self-harm or advocate suicide if goals are not met. And influencers have used the goals of looksmaxxing to promote and sell various products that claim to be transformative, and none are based on clinical evidence.

Dangers of Looksmaxxing

Though there have not been studies on the etiology or consequences of looksmaxxing per se, research has shown that excessive appearance preoccupation, use of social media to focus on appearance, and compulsive behaviors aimed at cosmetic improvements—all in alignment with looksmaxxing—have mental health and physical health risks, including:

Body dysmorphic disorder: This disorder is characterized by a preoccupation and chronic dissatisfaction with perceived flaws in one’s body. These flaws are generally not seen by others. Behavior includes chronic mirror-checking, repetitive grooming, frequent selfies, and low self-esteem. It is associated with high levels of anxiety and depression. Body dysmorphic disorder usually starts before age 18 and has been associated with significant suicide risk.

Excessive social media dependence related to appearance: An ongoing use of social media focusing on appearance is paired with compulsive attempts to model what one sees in digital media. This often results in significant dissatisfaction, as the “ideals” seen in doctored images or videos cannot be replicated. Often, the viewer seeks endless reassurance. It has been associated with generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder.

Eating disorders: Studies have shown a relationship to disordered eating behaviors and worse body image.

Physical health risks: These include the consequences of cosmetic surgical procedures on young, developing bodies.

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What Parents and Caregivers Should Look For

Parents and caregivers may notice any of these behaviors:

Preoccupation with appearance, such as frequent checking in mirrors or taking many selfies

Changes in mood, anxiety, irritability

Social isolation at home, with friends, and in activities

Increased needs for reassurance about appearance

Increased attention to—and anxiety about—food, diet, counting calories, exercise

Preoccupation with smartphone content

What Parents and Caregivers Can Do

Before we go into specific interventions, let’s consider a general overview. Parents need to keep in mind and reinforce that identity is grounded in one’s values, personal traits such as kindness, generosity, honesty, trustworthiness, and acceptance of differences, particularly in personal relationships. We want our kids to be independent, resilient, able to make sound, healthy decisions, and possess the ability to self-reflect, be aware of problems, and come to trusted individuals for help and guidance. Beauty is grounded in who you are, not what you look like.

With this framework in mind, here are some guidelines for helping young people:

Have frequent conversations: Talking about feelings, body image, appearance, relationships, and much more should begin in preschool. Keep in mind that all conversations should be developmentally informed. Talking about one’s body, feelings about weight, and care of one’s body is very different for a 5-year-old than for a 10- or 16-year-old. And conversations should be short and intermittent—not “meetings." No kid wants meetings or lectures.

Ask how they feel about their appearance: Remember to be non-judgmental and accept their feelings as valid, even if you disagree. If they feel they are too “fat,” ask how they came to that conclusion. Discuss safe and healthy options to become fit.

Focus on interests and values: These are all components of identity, as noted above. Celebrate positive, admirable personal traits over appearance. All kids want parental approval. Express pride in who they are, not as much what they look like.

Demonstrate and promote self-care: Engage them in principles of healthy exercise, nutrition, good sleep hygiene, meditation, yoga—these are all important to well-being.

Set limits on screen time and digital media: This requires knowing what social and digital media your kids are using. It is never a good idea to spy on them, as it breaches trust. But have discussions about the places they go online. Set realistic limits together, both for them and you as a parent. After all, most of us overuse digital media, and we need more face time with each other, family, and friends.

Address problems if you see them: If you see behavioral, emotional, or personality changes, it is always good to ask about what you are seeing. But remember, these may be hot buttons for your kids, so be gentle, curious, and try to understand their point of view.

If you think problems are severe, get professional help: If you believe your child is involved in looksmaxxing or any of its mental or physical downsides, it is always wise to seek a professional psychological or psychiatric evaluation.

Let’s face it, we all struggle with appearance. It is a consequence of pervasive social forces. However, we can balance our feeling comfortable in our own skin and help our kids feel similarly.

Originally posted on the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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