Looksmaxxing
Neologism from online incel communities
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Looksmaxxing is an online self-improvement practice focused on the process of maximizing one's physical attractiveness. The term is a neologism which was coined on incel[1] message boards in the 2010s.[2][3][4] Previously, the phrase had limited usage on obscure internet forums, but was popularized on TikTok by primarily male content creators in the early 2020s.[3] The term has commonly been associated with the black pill ideology,[5] which espouses that female sexual selection is primarily based on external physical qualities such as height and attractiveness, while qualities such as kindness and personality are ignored or even cause rejection.[6] Looksmaxxing is very broad in the methods used to improve appearance; they can range from benign practices such as skincare routines and gym use, to more extreme interventions, such as invasive cosmetic surgery and usage of anabolic steroids.[7]
Commentators generally criticize the concept as being judgemental and harmful to its practitioners (‘looksmaxxers’). Communities and influencers associated with the practice are described as rating individual's appearance without concern for their overall well-being which can lead to negative mental health outcomes such as body dysmorphia and suicidal ideation.[7][3][8] The increasing popularity of the concept has also led to concerns over its potential to promote hegemonic masculinity.[9]
Overview
Softmaxxing
'Softmaxxing' is a subset of Looksmaxxing that refers to non-invasive and simple practices used to achieve minor improvements to one's appearance. These include skincare, grooming, clothing choices, and general fitness such as weight management and exercise.[10][11] Additional less conventional practices are also included in the scope of softmaxxing; popular examples include "mewing", which involves suctioning one's tongue to the roof of the mouth with the intention of an improved jaw and facial structure, and "NoFap", where one abstains from masturbation for perceived physical and mental benefits.[12][13] Such practices come up more often in Looksmaxxing discourse due to their niche nature.[8]
Practices associated with Softmaxxing were previously popularized among men by magazines such as GQ, Esquire, and Men's Health which share skincare and hairstyle advice.[14]
Hardmaxxing
Hardmaxxing is a subset of Looksmaxxing that refers to more extreme practices in order to achieve significant changes to one's appearance and facial structure. These include off-label or unauthorized use of substances (such as anabolic steroids, peptides,[16][17][18] human growth hormone, aromatase inhibitors, weight loss medications, etc) to achieve a taller stature, more masculine appearance and greater muscle mass; extreme dieting to the point of starvation to achieve a low body fat level; and skin whitening to achieve a lighter skin tone, which is interpreted as being more desirable; and undergoing cosmetic surgeries, such as jaw surgery and rhinoplasty.[8][14]
More dubiously, a practice known as bonesmashing, which refers to the act of hitting one's face against objects such as a hammer in order to create a "chiselled look", is often described when discussing looksmaxxing. This practice is considered an inside joke and is rarely done. Sources label it as misinformation.[19][20][21]
Other concepts
Some that partake in looksmaxxing also look for others to rate their appearance, with some engaging in anonymous message boards associated with incel subculture. This rating, together with one's perceived status and wealth has been considered to be one's "sexual market value" (also known as SMV).[8][19] Those who look to determine someone's attractiveness usually check for a variety of facial features. One of the features checked for in men is "hunter eyes", which refers to a neutral/positive canthal tilt, little to no upper eyelid exposure and low-set eyebrows, resembling the eye area of a predatorial animal. Additional features checked for include hollow cheeks, a defined jawline and "pursed lips".[14][19] In order to achieve these features, some perform acts such as the aforementioned "mewing", rubbing against the orbital area, or getting surgery.[19][20][7]
On some incel forums, users deemed below average may be harassed, including being told to take their own lives.[8] Additional terms have been coined by these communities in an effort to "dominate others". These phrases include "mogging", which refers to asserting dominance over another person based on their appearance, and being "Y-pilled", which refers to one viewing themselves as more masculine than the other and is a spin on the phrase "redpilled".[14][20] Although the term "mogging" in the context of looksmaxxing is used to rate oneself's physical appearance as being higher than another's, this term can be used in harmful ways. Young, impressionable children on social media using it to describe their appearance in relation to their friend's could be taken the wrong way and lead to insecurities down the road for a generation of children. The term also comes from "AMOG" which is a new acronym for "alpha male of the group."[22] These underlying reinforcements of toxic masculinity culture regress the progress that has been made towards accepting many forms of gender expression.
History
The practice originated within online incel and manosphere communities during the 2010s, where discussions attributed sexual success to the perceived genetic advantages held by "Chads".[23][4] The three main forums in which looksmaxxing originated from, concomitant with the "black pill" ideology, were the websites PUAHate.com, Sluthate.com, and Lookism.net (the "PSL Forums"). This overarching online community came to be known as the "PSL community." Along with their focus on looksmaxxing and black pill ideas, these websites also rejected mainstream dating culture and feminist perspectives. Looksmaxxing was framed as a strategy for social recognition. It especially involved the adaptation to the perceived dominant male beauty standards, as a means to attract women. These forums established their own measuring unit to rate looks, titled the PSL Scale (standing for "Perceived Sexual Levels", but also an abbreviation for each of the three main forums, in order).[24][25]
The PSL scale diverges from the traditional "x out of ten" numerical attractiveness rating system, in that it uses a rigorously hierarchical and systematic framework used to measure only facial attractiveness. It typically uses a scale from 1-8, and it was strictly designed with the aim of interpreting how women perceive men.[26] Many of the terms and jargon associated with looksmaxxing find their origins on these forums.[27] Looksmaxxing later spread beyond manosphere communities and entered broader online culture, gaining popularity on platforms such as TikTok during the early 2020s.[4][8][14]
In contrast to earlier discussions on message boards, which were more closely associated with the "black pilled" worldview, early TikTok content often framed looksmaxxing in terms of self-improvement, sometimes incorporating self-deprecating humor.[23] However, by the mid 2020s, the black pill ideology became increasingly associated with the practice in mainstream discourse. Certain online influencers, such as Kick live streamer Clavicular, have also been linked to the promotion of more extreme forms of looksmaxxing and black pill ideology.[28][29][30]
Criticism
Looksmaxxing has been connected to incel sub-culture since its origins within it.[8][14][19] Writing for The Conversation, senior lecturer and researcher Jamilla Rosdahl of the Australian College of Applied Psychology, considers that the practice converts young men into incels, as a result of TikTok algorithms.[8] On the popularity of looksmaxxing amongst young people overall, she wrote that "where young people feel like they can't control their environment, they may turn to trends such as looksmaxxing as something they can control," attributing several real world problems such as an unstable economy and the increase in young men struggling to get into relationships.[8] In some cases, men involved in the practice have reported benefits such as getting a girlfriend, aswell as positive affirmation from their peers after improving their looks. Albeit such praise is invariably mixed with critique, which helps maintain a common outlook with less attractive members, who all feel subordinate to the masculine ideal.[3][31]
Several methods of looksmaxxing have been criticized by doctors and dismissed as misinformation, including mewing and bonesmashing.[21][32] Regarding mewing, researchers have argued that evidence supporting any change in facial structure is lacking. Facial surgeons have criticized bonesmashing saying it includes the risk for fractures, facial misalignment, neurovascular injuries, facial deformity, and alterations in vision. Physicians have been advised to help patients interested in looksmaxxing to distinguish between safe beauty practices and harmful practices, suggesting to patients to only conduct looksmaxxing practices when done in a medically viable manner.[33]
Clavicular's system of rating looksmaxxing that he promotes in interviews and on social media is the PSL scale, which gives men a numerical rating then sorts men into three tiers: "subhuman," "normie," and "Chad." In her New Yorker criticism, journalist Becca Rothfeld explains, "The moral objections to looksmaxxing are numerous, severe, and obvious. A system that designates any person as 'subhuman' is beneath contempt, and that's to say nothing of the racial slurs to which looksmaxxing stalwarts help themselves regularly."[22] She also cites a recent interview in which Clavicular "approvingly notes that Brad Pitt 'mogs' Mother Teresa."[22]
While its encouragment for men to care about their health and fitness can be seen as a positive, Looksmaxxing overall is seen as demoralising to men, especially the young. A study published in the National Library of Medicine argues that lookmaxxing promotes a hegemonic masculine gaze on male bodies. Hegemonic masculinity is a social concept developed by R.W. Connell that defines the ideal form of dominant and physically attractive male bodies, legitimizes sexism, and reinforces patriarchy. The study's findings support its argument, and proves that the looksmaxxing community revolves around male supremacy and hegemonic masculinity.[9][34][31]