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Agence France-Presse

Hankering for a chiselled jawline, a male TikTok influencer strikes his face with a hammer – highlighting the rise of “looksmaxxing”, an online trend pushing unproven and sometimes dangerous techniques to boost sexual appeal.
Looksmaxxing influencers – part of an online ecosystem dubbed the “manosphere” – have surged in popularity across social media, capitalising on the insecurities of young men eager to boost their physical attractiveness.
In posts across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, they promote pseudoscientific methods to achieve everything from pouty lips to chin extensions and almond-shaped “hunter eyes”, often while monetising their popularity by endorsing a range of consumer products.
In more extreme cases, these influencers advocate taking steroids, undergoing plastic surgery and even “leg-lengthening” procedures to become more attractive.












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A post shared by Oscar Patel (@_oscarpatel_)



While women may visit aestheticians or buy beauty products, spurring a global beauty retail market worth hundreds of billions of dollars, the manosphere at times promotes a DIY approach that draws on the nearest toolbox.
“Babe, what’s taking you so long in the bathroom?” reads the caption flashing across a viral TikTok video of a man seen hitting his cheekbones with a hammer, in what he calls his “skincare routine”.
Underneath the video are dozens of comments warning that “bone smashing”, also known as the hammer technique, was “dangerous”, while others hailed it as a legitimate way to achieve sharper features.
In other videos, British influencer Oscar Patel promoted “mewing”, an unproven technique that involves pressing the tongue into the roof of the mouth for improving jaw and facial structure.
Without offering evidence, he told his nearly 188,000 TikTok followers that such tricks would turn them into a “PSL god”, an internet slang term for exceptionally attractive men, short for Perfectly Symmetrical Looks.
In another video, US-based TikTokker Dillon Latham misleadingly told his 1.7 million followers to whiten their teeth by applying hydrogen peroxide, a chemical compound, to their teeth.
Some dentists warn that regularly using store-bought peroxide could damage tooth enamel and gums.

The looksmaxxing trend is fuelling a host of influencers “who promote ‘perfect bodies and perfect faces’, often to feather their own nest”, says Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan, an analyst at the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue think tank.
“Among men, this is mixed with the misogyny of the manosphere, which often blames women for male insecurities, creating a toxic combination,” he adds.
Many looksmaxxing influencers appear to have a financial incentive, frequently leveraging their popularity to promote products ranging from skin cleansers to pheromone perfumes, and even Chinese knock-off watches.
Looksmaxxing is rooted in “incel” – a portmanteau of “involuntary celibate” – communities, an internet subculture rife with misogyny, with men tending to blame women and feminism for their romantic failings.
“The incel ideology is being rebranded to looksmaxxing on TikTok,” says Anda Solea, a researcher at the school of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Portsmouth in England.
In a study, Solea found that incel-inspired accounts on TikTok were circumventing a ban on hateful language with a focus on looksmaxxing and more palatable words about self-improvement.
“There are a lot of pressures on men – we want to protect women from gender-based violence, but we should also be careful about young men and boys,” Solea says.
Other related maxxing trends have also gained traction, including “gymmaxxing”, which focuses on building muscle, and “moneymaxxing”, which centres on improving financial status – all with the ultimate goal of increasing sexual desirability.
Looksmaxxing influencers – many of whom idolise male models such as Australian Jordan Barrett and American Sean O’Pry – have amassed massive followings as algorithms propel their content to millions.
These algorithms can lead to real-world harm, experts warn. The danger was highlighted in the recent Netflix hit Adolescence, which follows the case of a 13-year-old boy accused of killing a classmate after consuming misogynistic content online.


The fictional crime drama references the popular but unfounded “80/20” theory that claims 80 per cent of women are attracted to 20 per cent of men.
In a 2024 study, researchers at Dublin City University, in the Republic of Ireland, created fake accounts registered as teenage boys. They reported that their TikTok and YouTube feeds were “bombarded” with male supremacy and misogynistic content.
“More widely, this does feed into toxic beauty standards, which affect men as well as women,” says Venkataramakrishnan. “The idea that if you don’t look like a Hollywood star you might as well give up trying for a relationship is deeply damaging.”


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Social media

What is ‘looksmaxxing’? Social media trend promotes extreme techniques to boost looks

A video of a TikTok influencer shows him hitting his cheekbones with a hammer, as part of “looksmaxxing”, a popular trend that promotes unproven techniques to boost sexual appeal. Photo: AFP

A video from US-based TikTokker Dillon Lathamon shows a yellow teeth test. Photo: AFP

What is microcheating and are you doing it to your partner? Experts give examples

Is liking a co-worker’s photo on social media microcheating? One psychologist says microcheating could be anything short of a physical or emotional relationship if it involves a behaviour you cannot talk about openly with a partner. Photo: AP

Microcheating happens for many reasons, but often it is because people are simply looking for that spark they feel from a new relationship, according to therapist William Schroeder. Photo: Shutterstock

Besides furtive social media chatting, microcheating could mean something like lingering too long in office social spaces to talk to a colleague. Photo: Shutterstock

If a couple met on a dating app, it is important to discuss whether to disable it and be exclusive, therapist William Schroeder says. Photo: Shutterstock

Sugar substitutes can increase hunger, affect weight loss strategies, study says

Do sugar substitutes actually make you more hungry? A new study suggests this could be true. Photo: Shutterstock

Sucralose can increase hunger and change the way the hypothalamus communicates with other brain regions, the study says. Photo: Shutterstock

Oldest female American Ninja Warrior competitor on how she’s still getting stronger at 73

American actress and dancer MacColl is the oldest woman to compete in the long-running US sports entertainment reality show American Ninja Warrior. Photo: Elizabeth Morris/NBC via Getty Images

MacColl even “hangs out” on monkey bars installed in the kitchen while preparing cups of tea. Hanging is good for your health, and grip strength is a biomarker of longevity, MacColl writes on Instagram. Photo: Instagram/ginnymaccoll  

It is never too late to start strength training, says MacColl, who did her first pull-up at the age of 63. Photo: Instagram/ginnymaccoll

MacColl regularly works out on obstacle course challenges – such as stepping from post to post above a swimming pool – to stay fit and nimble as she ages. Photo: Ginny MacColl  

MacColl trains on a makeshift outdoor zip line, training for ninja warrior competitions. Photo: Ginny MacColl 

MacColl and her daughter Jessie Graff show their strength at the world premiere of Poms in Los Angeles on May 1, 2019. Photo: Getty Images

MacColl hangs with her daughter Graff during training in 2017 – the year MacColl made her first appearance on American Ninja Warrior. Photo: Instagram/jessiegraffpwr

MacColl works out with her daughter on a climbing wall at Graff’s home. Photo: Instagram/ginnymaccoll

Swollen, puffy face? You might have ‘moon face’. Experts explain, share how to reduce it

“Moon face” or “cortisol face”, a condition in which the face appears swollen and puffy, is a health concern that has been popping up online. Photo: Instagram/mamamiaaus

The most common cause of moon face is long-term use of corticosteroid medications. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Looksmaxxing influencers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are promoting unproven, and sometimes dangerous, methods to boost sexual appeal


Looksmaxxing influencers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are promoting unproven, and sometimes dangerous, methods to boost sexual appeal.
