Have you ever scrolled through TikTok and seen a video that mentioned “mogging” and wondered what it means? Well I have, and that innocent curiosity led me into a rabbit hole of unnecessary self-improvement and glorified insecurity.
“Looksmaxxing” is the practice of self-improvement along the lines of bettering your facial routine, getting a good haircut for your facial structure, and going to the gym. This concept originated from 2015 internet forums such as Lookism.net and Incels.me where users would guide each other on perceived shortcomings related to their appearance. It resurfaced on TikTok in late 2022 when influencers began to provide advice on self-improvement. Most successful “self-help” creators blew up off their glow-up progression videos giving themselves more credibility. One of the biggest looksmaxxing creators is K.Shami (@syrianpsycho) who popularized the content genre through his edit on his 2.5-year transformation. Although looksmaxxing is generally a good concept, it has its problems and can negatively affect mental health.
The concept of self-improvement has been one of the biggest trends on the internet long before TikTok’s conception. YouTube was and still is a huge hub for self-improvement content whether you want a new face routine or gym plan. Some of the harmless habits that ‘looksmaxxing’ pushes are common self-care practices such as working out, getting a good face routine, brushing your teeth, teeth whitening, showering, ‘smellmaxxing’ (using deodorant and cologne), getting a good haircut for your face shape, dressing well and “mewing.” Mewing is a do-it-yourself technique to improve one’s face shape. The technique is named after orthodontist Dr. Mike Mew. It is the process of positioning your tongue at the roof of your mouth and breathing through your nose, which, over time, sharpens your jawline. While many influencers and individuals give credit to the process of mewing; there is no hard science for it. “An essential part of looksmaxxing is hair-maxxing, which was a crucial part of my life,” said sophomore Rafael Bursztyn. “This helped me go from straight hair to more defined curly hair. Before, I didn’t know what to do and my hair was extremely dry as I was applying shampoo every day. I later learned, hair-maxxing, to use a leave-in conditioner and only use shampoo once or twice a week. Also, I have to apply essential oils to the scalp. After all of this, my hair has significantly improved and you can see defined curls.” Hair-maxxing is an important part of looksmaxxing as it can drastically transform the way you look whether that’s through getting a good haircut or developing a personal hair-care routine.
Although Looksmaxxingmay have its helpful moments, it’s not all that it seems. This movement has led to insecurity within an entire generation with whether they don’t have ‘hunter’ eyes or their jawline isn’t sharp enough. The trend boils down to understanding your “sexual market value” where those who are deemed below average are bullied and told “it’s over” or “you’re cooked” insinuating there is no hope. Looksmaxxing can be separated into two genres, “softmaxxing” and “hardmaxxing.” “Softmaxxing” involves basic hygiene and common ways of improving self-image. “Hardmaxxing” moves to more extreme measures to improve one’s appearance including steroid use, “starve-maxxing” (the process of extreme dieting to lose weight), plastic surgery, and many more. “The routines to looksmaxx are very time-consuming and financially troubling,” said sophomore Pedro Sobral. “This can lead to increased stress.” Not only can looksmaxxing negatively affect the youth’s mental health, but it also can hurt your pockets as getting access to a gym, a good barber, and better supplies for self-care routines all add up. A lot of what “hardmaxxing” hinges on is genetics and can’t be changed through hard work such as the difference between ‘hunter’ eyes and ‘prey’ eyes. ‘Hunter’ eyes consist of having a positive canthal tilt which is the angle between the inner and outer corner of the eye, common in models like Jordan Barrett.
The upcoming generations, including Generation Z, are under pressure. The obsession with having an “attractive” appearance is a social disease separating those who no longer meet the social standard. Looksmaxxing is only one of the cultural pressures young people face as they grow in a rapidly changing world involving the possibilities of war, a global pandemic, environmental deterioration, etc. In a world where younger people don’t have control, they turn to what they can control, which leads to a fixation on becoming something they are not or cannot achieve.
