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A growing trend on platforms like TikTok and Instagram is pushing teenagers to “maximize” their physical looks.

Known as the looksmaxxing craze, the movement centers on achieving the “ideal” physique and facial features. It is related to comparable online phenomena, known as softmaxxing and hardmaxxing, which promote practices ranging from rigorous skincare regimens to cosmetic procedures and extreme body modification.

Although followers claim these behaviors can be confidence-building, psychologists warn they can provoke body dysmorphia, anxiety, and other unhealthy behaviors.

One licensed counselor described this trend as a “online-created body dysmorphia craze.”

“Adolescents fall into this illusion of acceptance, and what they believe others desire from them,” he explained. “They can get caught up in potentially lifelong battles with feeling inadequacy and handling that inadequacy.”

He went on to explain that “Individuals will devote their time on changing their physique based on emotions of inferiority or inadequacy.”

“Individuals can get caught in a loop of trying to ‘fix’ their looks, but as mental health clinicians, we know that if you’re feeling not good enough or inferior, those are the issues to work on with a qualified professional.”

Exploring the Differences Among the Three Main Movements?

While the language differs, the trends all have one thing in common: the drive to compulsively alter one’s appearance.

“Looksmaxxing is fundamentally personal development put on steroids. It’s recasting the male body as something to be built,” the counselor explained.

Whereas softmaxxing entails subtler adjustments to one’s appearance, often accomplished through grooming and lifestyle adjustments, the extreme version is more radical.

“It includes drastic procedures to change your appearance, including nose jobs, injectables, surgical hair restoration, and genioplasty. The obvious problem with this is that once you unlock that Pandora’s Box, it’s hard to close the lid,” he pointed out.

Another eating disorder specialist explained the differences.

“It’s natural to have a desire for self-care, and taking pride in your looks can boost confidence and be gender affirming. But the major distinction is that this trend is rooted in self-hate and trying to fit in, at the expense of your well-being and security,” she stated.

“The extreme version, meanwhile, seems to be dipping its toe into dangerous territory, particularly some of its linked behaviors, like smashing your face with a blunt object.”

The Reasons This Trend Is Especially Popular Among Young Men

What makes looksmaxxing appear to be resonating with young men in such high numbers?

One expert said that teenagers, especially teens, are often 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’ version of masculinity.”

He also believes movements like this one may be related to incel culture and the manosphere.

“It gained traction in recent years, with male gurus promoting specific ideals of masculinity. These kinds of ‘alpha’ figures have guided some men down a harmful path,” he said.

Another specialist shared a different viewpoint about potential contributing factors.

“Mental health issues and loneliness are also prevalent right now, making this demographic especially vulnerable,” she noted.

The Boundary Separating Positive Self-Improvement and Unhealthy Behaviors

Identifying the boundary separating taking pride in your appearance and an unhealthy obsession with how you look can be challenging for many people.

“Routines aimed at betterment turn problematic when fear is the primary motivator; when your rituals are taking up so much headspace that you can’t be present in your life and connections,” one therapist said.

There are multiple risks linked to these kinds of unhealthy patterns.

“Eating disorders and self-harm behaviours are often associated with body dysmorphia, worry, and poor self-worth,” she said.

“Males are at risk of experiencing embarrassment around their physiques due to cultural pressures that they must be fit and fit. And for some men, it can feel like a threat to their sense of manhood and self-worth.”

The other counselor noted that, for some individuals who attempt to make solely external changes to their body, it can lead to damaging, compulsive emotional voids.

“It can escalate quickly, and you may feel you need do something to improve your mood rather than feeling comfortable in your own body.”

In the end, he said, healthy self-improvement typically isn’t represented by the kind of improvement content that’s trending on social media platforms.

“It’s about nurturing yourself from the inside out,” he concluded.

Strategies for Practising Body Positivity

Developing greater body acceptance isn’t something that happens quickly, but there are healthy actions you can implement to begin that process.

First, having complicated emotions about your appearance is valid and natural.

One specialist recommended “leaning into” that and discovering an creative expression for it.

“Artistic expression is a great way to express those emotions in a way that might even be fun. Try drawing, making a collage, or making a book to document your journey,” she suggested.

While social media use can worsen unhealthy habits and feelings, there are ways to minimize these dangers.

“Subscribe to profiles that advocate for body positivity and positive male role models. Or follow individuals who challenge the narrow definition of masculinity promoted by the mainstream,” she