The rise of Looksmaxxing: 'Creating shame and secrecy among young men'

At face value, a trend encouraging young men to take care of their physical appearance and maximise their self-worth appears harmless - even positive - but the fast-growing looksmaxxing trend has a very dark side, experts warn.

So what is it, and why are some health professionals calling it "terrifying"?

What is looksmaxxing?

Looksmaxxing has re-emerged on social media platforms like Reddit, Instagram and TikTok as a trend by men seeking to improve their physical appearance.

The methods used to maximise appearance are split into two categories: "softmaxxing" and "hardmaxxing".

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Joseph Sahyoun at joseph.sahyoun@nine.com.au

Softmaxxing

'Softmaxxing' is essentially the first stage of looksmaxxing that comprises basic hygiene and a healthy lifestyle.

Skincare routines, eating healthily and exercising are considered softmaxxing.

Some less-proven methods are also popular, such as the bizarre trend of "mewing" - the act of holding the tongue against the roof of the mouth to create a prominent jawline and align teeth.

This popular technique has no scientific proof of being beneficial.

Hardmaxxing

'Hardmaxxing' is where methods become physically demanding and permanent.

It aims to maximise appearance by any means, including Botox and implants, or even removing ribs for a sculpted waist.

The most infamous hardmaxxing method is "bonesmashing".

This is the practice of repeatedly hitting the face with a blunt object to supposedly enlarge bones and redefine the skull structure to appear more masculine.

There is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

The term "starvemaxxing" has also been coined to describe extreme dieting so that cheekbones look hollow and the facial structure becomes sculpted.

Extreme dieting carries many serious health risks, including metabolic damage, nutrient deficiencies, fatigue and mental health issues.

A number of 'Looksmaxxing' forums seen by nine.com.au focus heavily on steroid use to build muscle size, and allow members to provide anecdotal and unsubstantiated medical advice.

Healthy Male is an Australian organisation that aims to provide accessible information on male health, particularly surrounding the physical side.

Health Content Manager at Healthy Male, Associate Professor Tim Moss, told nine.com.au he first discovered the term looksmaxxing while researching body image disorders in males and said steroids carry major health risks.

"If you take testosterone or synthetic versions of things that are like testosterone, then you shut down production of testosterone in the testes.

"When I first stumbled upon looksmaxxing, it was terrifying.

"The fact that young men will take such severe actions to change their appearance to try to appeal to others is scary to me."

Researcher at the Movember Institute of Mental Health, Dr Krista Fisher, also warned of the lack of research surrounding the use of unapproved drugs.

"We're seeing a massive rise in non-FDA and non-TGA-approved peptide use and surgical intervention, which have the potential to impact young men's health for the entirety of their life," she told nine.com.au.

Where did the trend start?

The trend has been around since the early 2010s, with forums across the internet for people looking to optimise their physical appearance.

Members in these communities send images of themselves for others to critique and rate, providing advice on how to improve their appearance.

A rating system known as the proportion, size, lineation (PSL) scale is used to determine the facial attractiveness and "sexual market value".

The maximum rating a person can achieve is an eight, deeming them a "chad", whilst a zero categorises them as "subhuman" and ultimately, undesirable.

"I can't imagine why you would go there and open yourself up to that sort of stuff," Moss said.

University of Sydney post-doctoral researcher and clinical psychologist, Scott Fatt, told nine.com.au that aspects of the trend draw close relation to body dysmorphic disorder.

"There's a strong focus on paying really close attention to detail, and this idea of obsessing about numbers, and you should be checking your progress obsessively," he said.

"That is a pretty key trait in body dysmorphic disorder."

So-call black pill ideologies frequent these forums - the belief that romantic relationships are a rigged system based on a hierarchy that favours attractive men.

The online harms of looksmaxxing

While these forums are still active today, looksmaxxing influencers have gained notoriety on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, bringing in a new, younger audience.

The 'looksmaxxer' at the forefront of the trend, Clavicular, has more than 400,000 Instagram followers and told The New York Times he makes more than $100,000 a month streaming on Kick, helping push the trend further into the public eye.

"Clavicular (was) on the front of GQ magazine and walking in fashion shows, it's definitely become more of a pop culture phenomenon rather than something that just exists in fringe spaces online," Fisher added.

"Now what we're seeing is this passive consumption of content.

"If you're a young guy and sign up for a TikTok account, there has been research that has shown that within 30 seconds, you are going to be pushed content that is misogynistic, has drug, youth-related themes, or suicide and self-harm themes."

Mobile phone apps that claim to rank attractiveness by uploading a single image of yourself using artificial intelligence have also begun to flood mobile stores.

Fisher says looksmaxxers who offer courses to impressionable teens are targeting a young and "insecure" audience.

"They're not only financially taking advantage of these young people, but what it's also creating is this significant amount of shame and secrecy."

"Even if it does change one's physical appearance, it doesn't really fix or alleviate the root of the issue, like body image concerns, low self-esteem and self-worth," she said.

If you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue.

In the event of an emergency dial Triple Zero (000).

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