Pratisandhi

Are You “Looksmaxxing” Your Way To Money, Romance, and Success?

Ever felt a burst of motivation to suddenly turn your life around? Maybe you’ll look into a couple of stock market investments, click-baity “Do This And Say Goodbye To Belly Fat!” articles, or, taking a dark turn, you might even look up sinister “How To Become An Alpha Male” content. Consciousness about one’s appearance, wealth, and social circles is more prevalent than ever, and various trends online capitalize on these fears. One such trend is Looksmaxxing.

But What Is Looksmaxxing?

To put it simply, it’s a trend where one should aim to maximize one’s physical appearance to the fullest. This includes strictly following a carefully crafted routine of exercises and self-care activities. Sounds good, right? Well, not entirely.

 

The origins of Looksmaxxing emerge from incel message boards, quickly making its way mainstream. Online communities are filled with self-proclaimed expert Looksmaxxers who “rate” men’s faces based on various factors that one wouldn’t even notice in real life, such as “canthal tilts” and “mid-face ratios”.

Image: An Analysis of Robert Pattinson's Face
Source: @roadto1percent

Take a look at this photo featuring Robert Pattinson’s face, overanalyzing his anatomy. By the way, he was rated 8.75/10 – talk about hard to please!

Softmaxxing

You could say that it’s the lesser of the evils; some of these tips are harmless and actually promote well-being, like abandoning your “3-in-1 shampoo-conditioner-body wash” to pick out alternatives that suit your skin better, or to simply brush and floss everyday without fail. 

 

It gets a bit stranger when you consider special jawline-enhancing-chewing gum that is being sold, promoting long-term chewing to get a sharper jawline. Aside from the lack of definite scientific basis for this claim, excessive chewing of gum can lead to temporomandibular dysfunction, cavities and others.

Image: How to "Mew" Source: Mewing Coach

“Mewing” is another popularized method of getting a sharp jawline. It requires you to rest the entirety of your tongue against the roof of your mouth as illustrated above. While the potential effects are not well-researched yet, caution is advised.

 

While these simple exercises may seem harmless enough, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Hardmaxxing

This is where it gets crazy – ever heard of bone smashing? Although not very popular in the community, the idea is that creating breaks in your bones can prompt them to heal in a specific, better-looking way. Needless to say, do not try this at home, or anywhere at all.

 

A penis enlargement myth called “jelqing” involves stretching your penis tissues in order to create “micro-tears” that look engorged when they heal. Although research has been limited, it has not shown any positive results and carries the risk of injury.

 

Other activities include getting idealistic plastic surgery, taking dubious supplements, and inducing vomiting to become slim.

Final Words~

It’s no doubt that everyone wants to look and feel good, however, following dangerous viral trends without critical thinking leads to finding ourselves in a dangerous loop of self-hatred and looking forward to results that may never arrive. So, what can you do to be the best version of yourself? Take a look at Pratisandhi’s Sex ED Library, providing you with reliable and medically accurate sources for the same, and always remember: 

 

No One Can YOUmaxx Like You!

Author

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Browse by Category