Elmira Muradkhanyan, a journalism and sociology senior at Loyola Marymount University, was Golden State's summer 2026 intern.
Women have been the target of unattainable beauty standards for generations, often to meet the desires of men. So it might be tempting to welcome the burgeoning internet phenomenon of "looksmaxxing," where young men hound one another into changing their appearances, often in creepy, drastic ways.
But as a 21-year-old woman, I get no pleasure watching men put impossible beauty standards on each other. The people caught up in this need help, not ridicule.
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At first blush, looksmaxxing might sound like just another wellness fad. Two of the trend’s key features – improving one’s health and getting plenty of exercise – qualify as sound medical advice for just about anyone. And influencers have been dispensing skincare and fashion advice on TikTok, Instagram and elsewhere for as long as those platforms have existed. In fact, looksmaxxers even have their own term for these less invasive techniques: “softmaxxing.”
But elements of this movement take self-improvement to extreme, literally bone-breaking levels – and imbue it all with far-right misogyny. This is “hardmaxxing,” and it involves adherents resorting to surgery, performance-enhancing drugs and even smashing jawbones to achieve some hypermasculine ideal.
I first came across this trend as so many others who’ve fallen under its influence have: by scrolling through my own social media feeds. First I noticed well-known male influencers sharing videos in which they "rated" other people's looks. And it was obvious these quick, impersonal, often harsh judgments were spreading to millions of young viewers.
So I went down the rabbit hole, and what I found truly worried me. The more I investigated, the more I discovered a culture centered on insecurity, one that promotes the idea that a young man’s value is based on how closely he conforms to a narrow standard of beauty.
Josh Gohlke
The movement gained popularity in early 2020, but the terminology associated with it really began sticking after several major influencers associated with looksmaxxing on their platforms in early 2025. Researchers and mental health experts who have analyzed looksmaxxing note that the kind of hypermasculinity it espouses overlaps with far-right online communities and can have serious psychological consequences.
This online subculture blames feminism for disadvantaging men. So, young men seeking self-improvement advice may be progressively exposed to more extreme ideas about relationships, gender roles and masculinity through recommendation algorithms and online forums.
One of the first looksmaxxing influencers to appear on my social media feed — and ultimately spark my interest in researching this growing trend — was a livestreamer known as Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters. The 20-year-old started posting about his physical optimization routines during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when he was just 14. Since then, he has amassed millions of followers across multiple platforms, and he’s done it showcasing some dangerous antics.
Peters has brandished his use of prescription drugs, experimental peptides, testosterone and other chemicals, all to improve his appearance and stamina. He’s also demonstrated DIY body alteration procedures, including “bonesmashing” his jaw with a hammer to make himself look more masculine to his audience. In April, he appeared to overdose during a livestream on an unknown substance.
Deanne Stillman
Peters’ material goes beyond physical appearance. During livestreams, he has espoused opinions on women needing to stay home and support their partners while men play the dominant role in relationships. He has argued that males should have more freedom and be held to different fidelity standards than women. This kind of discourse, according to critics, encourages uneven interpersonal dynamics among his mostly youthful audience while reinforcing negative preconceptions about masculinity and femininity.
But there is more to this than just the power of one influencer or even several. Millions of young men are being exposed to online communities that promote risky bodily modification as a means of gaining acceptance. The temptation to live up to unattainable beauty standards is no longer just a concern for young women; it is now increasingly influencing how young men and boys see themselves.
It’s tempting to dismiss looksmaxxing as a fad among a not particularly sympathetic group of people. That would be just as mistaken as encouraging women to value each other according to toxic, harmful beauty standards. As looksmaxxing grows on the internet, the response should consider the fears that lead young people to adopt these lifestyles and seek out communities that harm and denigrate them. It’s more beneficial to address mental health, body image and positive masculinity role models rather than just criticizing the trend.
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