What is Looksmaxxing?

• “Looksmaxxing” refers to self-care techniques meant to improve a person's physical appearance.
• Looksmaxxing began on niche internet forums years ago, and spread to more popular platforms like Reddit and TikTok. It's sometimes used to gain social status.
• Many commentators have raised concerns that looksmaxxing leads to unhealthy habits and negative self-image.

What is looksmaxxing?

Looksmaxxing is a viral trend focused on improving one’s appearance. According to “looksmaxxing,” your physical attractiveness gives you a step up in life. People who participate in looksmaxxing (mainly young men) strive to improve their appearance through things like bodybuilding, skincare, and even surgery in hopes of gaining better social status. The term itself uses a popular slang suffix, “-maxxing,” which is used to describe an effort to maximize or perfect some aspect of yourself—in this case, looks.

There are different degrees, or “levels,” of looksmaxxing. The practice has many different aspects. “Softmaxxing” refers to less invasive habits like bodybuilding, skincare, and styling. “Hardmaxxing” is much more extreme, and includes things like plastic surgery, facial implants, extreme fasting (“starvemaxxing”), and other more permanent, potentially hazardous activities. The community also uses other specialized vocab to discuss physical flaws, like “canthal tilt” (angle of the eyes), “interpupillary distance” (distance between them), and “mewing” (a tongue exercise said to improve your jawline).

Where did looksmaxxing come from?

Looksmaxxing started in 2015 on niche internet forums. The concept itself began on sites like Lookism.net and Incels.me. Both are sites that serve as discussion boards for self-professed “incels.” Users on these sites often advise each other on their perceived shortcomings in an effort to help each other gain social prominence and success. “Incel” is short for “involuntary celibate” and describes a person who blames their own features, shortcomings, or even women for a lack of romantic success. “Looksmaxxing” as term found popularity after the creation of a site called Looksmaxxing.com, which is devoted to the practice.

Looksmaxxing only recently took off on TikTok. The term and practice spread from niche forums to more popular sites like 4chan and Reddit. In 2023, the term found its way to TikTok, where some users picked it up and became “looksmaxxing” influencers, handing out advice to the platform’s broader audience on how to improve their looks.

Should you participate in looksmaxxing?

There's nothing wrong with wanting to improve your appearance, but looksmaxxing is flawed. In fact, it can even be dangerous. Looksmaxxing falls into the age-old trap of holding its participants to unhealthy and unrealistic beauty standards that can be counterproductive to real, genuine happiness. Looksmaxxing communities often try to “help” each other by pointing out physical flaws that each person needs to change. Often, though, these “flaws” are just normal features, and are nothing to be ashamed of. And looksmaxxing isn't just hurtful and dangerous, it can also be completely off base. The participants who want to improve their romantic status, for instance, waste tons of time and effort trying to achieve physical qualities that aren't actually necessarily more attractive than the qualities they already have. This is especially true when qualities like self-awareness, kindness, and generosity are still widely reported to be some of the most attractive qualities a person can have.

There are easier, more effective ways of improving your image. Don’t get us wrong; striving to be the best you can be is a totally worthwhile practice. But striving for an arbitrary ideal of “perfection” is a dead end, especially when simpler things like a proper diet, regular exercise, and a consistent sleep schedule are actually proven to transform not just your body, but your mind, too. In this way, “softmaxxing” almost has the right idea. The trouble comes when you try to change yourself into another person according to what others say you should be, rather than becoming the best version of yourself. The other pitfall of looksmaxxing is the slippery slope of more and more extreme practices. In the insular looksmaxxing community, positive things like exercise can very quickly escalate into risky behaviors like eating disorders. Here's the takeaway: if you're considering looksmaxxing, you'll be way better off if you focus on genuinely getting healthier and working on your most important inner qualities too, like your empathy, passion, and kindness. Anyone who tells you that looks are objective and can be gamified, especially with unsafe practices, is either lying to you or just plain wrong. At the end of the day, you'll be a happier, healthier, more attractive version of yourself if you avoid classic "looksmaxxing" and lean into safer self-improvement methods.

Improving Your Image

Balance your diet to get your body working to its full potential. Eating a healthy diet is the foundation of achieving a better body and mind. Food is fuel, after all! Experts recommend getting 5 portions each day of fruits and veggies, basing your meals on starchy foods like bread or rice, and also incorporating plenty of proteins and dairy. If you don’t know where to start, take a peek at the NHS’ Eatwell Guide, which gives you a simple and complete nutritional rundown.

Exercise regularly to improve your fitness and mood. Getting your heart rate up each day not only helps you achieve the body you want, but also fends off disease, boosts your energy, and lifts your mood. Experts recommend getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like walking) each day, and performing strength training (like lifting weights) at least twice a week. Or, aim for 75 minutes of vigorous aerobics, like running, cycling, rowing, or an organized sport.

Get plenty of sleep so you can take full advantage of each day. Getting a good night’s sleep is another foundational health habit. Ample sleep restores your energy, manages your weight, reduces risk of disease, ups your mood, and helps you think more clearly. Experts recommend that teens get 8-10 hours of sleep each night, and adults get at least 7. To help you sleep, turn off any digital screens an hour before bedtime, and wind down the analogue way—with a book, magazine, word puzzle, or physical game.

Pick up a skincare routine to nourish your skin. Having a skincare routine isn’t strictly necessary (and in fact, other things like a healthy diet and regular exercise can do the most to clear your skin), but it can leave you feeling refreshed. Wash your face with lukewarm water in the morning and before bed, pat it dry with a soft towel, then apply a thin layer of moisturizer for hydrated, healthy skin. If you like, use a mildly abrasive but gentle scrubber, like a washcloth, while washing to exfoliate.

Dive into your hobbies to enhance your intellect. There’s more to attraction than looks. Other people are also drawn to personality and passion, and developing those is easy—and fun! Think of what you enjoy doing, whether that’s reading, sports, crafts, arts, etc., and get enthusiastic about it! It rounds out your personality and gives you something to talk about with other people—something besides self-improvement.

Hone your style to establish your personal identity. You don’t have to wear designer clothes and frequent a pricey barber every week to turn heads. Being stylish is just about expressing your own taste through fashion and grooming. A unique look that screams “you” is a thousand times more interesting and attractive than buying whatever brands an influencer tells you to buy. Take it from us. Hit up a thrift store and browse the racks for anything that speaks to you. It’s a great way to put together a cheap, sustainable, and one-of-a-kind outfit. Do groom yourself for the sake of hygiene, though! Brush or comb your hair, shower regularly, and get that laundry moving to make sure you look your best.

Spend time with friends or strangers to improve your social life. Socializing is key to honing your personality, learning more about yourself, and understanding other people’s perspectives. Hit up a friend to hang out, or even venture out to a cafe, concert, or most any other public space and start a conversation with a stranger. You never know where it might lead. Or, join a special-interest club like a sports team or hobby group to meet like-minded people. Volunteering at a food bank or animal shelter is also a great way to expand your horizons while feeling more fulfilled and purposeful.