🔗 Share this article

A growing phenomenon on social media is prompting boys to “enhance” their physical looks.

Referred to as the looksmaxxing craze, the trend focuses on attaining the “ideal” physique and facial features. It is related to comparable online trends, called softmaxxing and hardmaxxing, which advocate for everything from intensive grooming routines to cosmetic procedures and extreme body modification.

While proponents claim these practices can be confidence-building, mental health experts caution they can provoke body dysmorphia, anxiety, and other harmful patterns.

One mental health professional labeled looksmaxxing as a “social media-driven body dysmorphia trend.”

“Young men can succumb to this false sense of acceptance, and what they believe women desire from them,” he said. “They can get caught up in possibly long-term struggles with feeling a sense of inadequacy and coping with that shortcoming.”

He further described that “People will focus their energies on changing their body based on feelings of low self-worth or inadequacy.”

“Men can get caught in a loop of trying to ‘optimize’ their appearance, but as mental health clinicians, we know that if you’re struggling with inadequate or less than, those are the issues to work on with a qualified therapist.”

Exploring the Distinctions Between the Three Main Movements?

Although the terminology differs, the phenomena all have one thing in commonality: the drive to obsessively change one’s appearance.

“This trend is fundamentally self-improvement put on overdrive. It’s recasting the male physique as something to be engineered,” the counselor explained.

While softmaxxing entails more gradual adjustments to one’s appearance, often achieved through grooming and habit changes, the extreme version is more intense.

“It includes drastic methods to transform your looks, such as nose jobs, injectables, hair transplants, and genioplasty. The clear issue with this is that once you unlock that Pandora’s Box, it’s difficult to go back,” he pointed out.

Another eating disorder specialist summed up the key distinctions.

“It’s natural to have wanting to look good, and taking pride in your appearance can boost confidence and be positive. But the big distinction is that looksmaxxing is based on self-loathing and trying to conform, at the cost of your well-being and security,” she pointed out.

“Hardmaxxing, meanwhile, appears to be venturing into self-harm territory, especially some of its associated behaviors, like smashing your face with a hammer.”

The Reasons Looksmaxxing Is Especially Popular Among Young Men

What makes looksmaxxing appear to be resonating with young men in particular?

One therapist said that young men, especially teens, are typically at a stage of their lives when they are still discovering who they are, and many may be seeking ways to portray what they perceive as “the ‘correct’ expression of masculinity.”

He also believes movements like looksmaxxing may be connected to incel culture and the manosphere.

“It started in recent years, with male gurus promoting specific views of manhood. These types of ‘alpha’ figures have led some men down a harmful path,” he commented.

Another specialist offered a different viewpoint about possible underlying causes.

“Mental health issues and loneliness are also prevalent currently, making this demographic especially susceptible,” she noted.

The Boundary Separating Healthy Self-Care and Unhealthy Behaviors

Identifying the boundary separating caring for your looks and an unhealthy obsession with how you look can be challenging for many individuals.

“Routines aimed at betterment become harmful when fear is the primary driver; when your habits are consuming so much mental space that you can’t be present in your daily existence and relationships,” one therapist explained.

There are several risks linked to these kinds of detrimental behaviors.

“Eating disorders and dangerous actions are often connected to poor body image, worry, and poor self-worth,” she continued.

“Men are at danger of experiencing shame around their bodies due to cultural pressures that they should be fit and toned. And for some men, it can seem like a challenge to their masculinity and self-worth.”

The other counselor said that, for some people who attempt to make purely superficial modifications to their physique, it can lead to harmful, compulsive psychological needs.

“It can spin out of control, and you may feel you need do something to help yourself feel better rather than feeling comfortable in your own body.”

Ultimately, he stated, healthy self-improvement usually doesn’t look like the type of improvement material that’s popular on apps like TikTok and Instagram.

“It’s about taking care of yourself from the inside,” he concluded.

Strategies for Practising Self-Acceptance

Developing greater body acceptance is not a process that occurs overnight, but there are healthy actions you can take to start that process.

First, having complicated feelings about your body is normal and natural.

One specialist recommended “exploring” that and discovering an outlet for it.

“Creativity is a wonderful way to express those emotions in a way that might even be fun. Consider drawing, collaging, or creating a book to document your journey,” she advised.

While social media use can fuel unhealthy behaviors and feelings, there are methods to reduce these dangers.

“Subscribe to profiles that promote body positivity and positive male role models. Or follow individuals who challenge the limited view of manhood promoted by the mainstream,” she