‘Looksmaxxing’ Promises Better Looks—but It Can Put Teen Boys at Risk

By helitra·November 14, 2026·10 min read

Key Takeaways

Social media is exposing boys to harmful beauty standards that can hurt their mental and physical health.
Boys need safe spaces to talk about their bodies and feelings without judgment or pressure.
Parents can help by having open conversations, fact-checking content together, and seeking professional support if needed.

In the past, adolescent boys used to get a break from unhealthy messages about the male body. While men of a certain musculature have always been the chosen hero of movies and TV shows, at least when the movie ended, boys returned to a reality filled with average-looking bodies.

Now that more than a third of American children report using social media “almost constantly,” boys don’t get a break anymore. Social media content about hyper-masculine male bodies has become such an incessant barrage in boys’ lives that it has been given a name: “looksmaxxing.” Under this strict ideology, boys are expected to be 15-year-olds with Cillian Murphy’s jawline, Vin Diesel’s biceps, Channing Tatum’s torso, and Jason Momoa’s height.

“There is a real lack of healthy narratives around masculinity, especially for young men,” Krista Fisher, PhD, a research fellow at the Movember Institute of Men’s Health, tells Parents.

These biologically impossible male beauty standards for adolescent boys have far-reaching impacts on their mental and physical well-being. Here’s what parents need to know about “looksmaxxing,” and how best to support their sons as they navigate theses pressures.

What Exactly Is ‘Looksmaxxing?’

“Looksmaxxing” centers around a belief that real men must have a specific set of physical traits: a square jaw, deep-set, almond-shaped eyes also known as “hunter eyes,” a tall stature ideally between 6’1″ and 6’4″, a muscular physique, a Hollywood-level hairstyle, and clear, acne-free skin.

A lot of “looksmaxxing” content emphasizes the importance of “optimizing” puberty, claiming that boys have the most influence over their appearance during this time of biological growth. Making progress toward these idealized traits (known as “ascension”) helps increase boys’ “sexual market value” (SMV), which refers to the likelihood that women will find them attractive.

There are also more specific sub-niches nested within “looksmaxxing.” These include “auramaxxing” (strategies to improve social standing), “smellmaxxing” (using cologne to attract women), “moneymaxxing” (ways to make money to attract women), and “starvemaxxing” (restricting diet to lose weight).

The origin of the term “looksmaxxing” can be traced to online incel (involuntarily celibate) or “redpill” communities and their skewed view of modern gender dynamics. Incels self-identify as unattractive and unsuccessful in romantic relationships. They believe that women are only interested in dating a small subset of men who have certain qualities.

How Many Boys Are Exposed to This Content?

A 2025 study finds that 60% of young men between the ages of 16-25 regularly consume content from at least one masculinity influencer. The study also highlights that YouTube and TikTok in particular have been found to push increasingly extreme content like “looksmaxxing” to boys’ feeds.

Why Boys May Be Interested in This Content

Dr. Fisher points out that young boys seem to gravitate toward this content because it taps into an unmet need. Boys have questions about their bodies, romantic relationships, and how to operate in the world as young men. In the absence of anywhere else to go, especially offline, masculinity influencers on social media and forums have given boys the anonymity to ask hard or embarrassing questions, a feeling of community with like-minded peers, and a constant stream of advice from confident older boys who claim to have successfully changed their appearance.

How Boys Are Learning To Modify Their Bodies

“Looksmaxxing” content on TikTok, YouTube, and online forums throws around a head-spinning amount of plastic surgery recommendations—specifically for boys and men, including jaw surgery, chin extensions, fat grafting, buccal fat removal, nose jobs, ear jobs, liposuction, lip lifts, shoulder and limb lengthening surgeries, and surgeries that reshape the outer corners of the eyes and bones around the eye sockets.

There’s also “softmaxxing,” which includes non-surgical approaches like protein use, daily skin care, updating wardrobes, engaging in regular hair styling techniques, teeth whitening, shaving off eyelashes, using Volufiline and other products that promote temporary lip plumping, and sleeping on their back to promote “face symmetry.”

A tongue exercise called “mewing” is also popular. It’s said to accentuate cheekbones and sharpen jawlines. Another “softmaxxing” technique growing in popularity is the use of fitness chewing gum, which is engineered to be extra hard to chew as a way to exercise the jaw and create a more prominent jawline.

Conversely, “hardmaxxing” includes extreme techniques like using human growth hormones, steroids, plastic surgery, or “brotox” (botox for men). And a concept called “bonesmashing” even encourages boys to break their own jaw and facial bones with a hammer or other hard object, due to a belief that the bones will grow back stronger and more defined.

The Physical Toll of Impossible Male Beauty Standards

To some degree, it is understandable why impressionable boys are so quick to jump on the “looksmaxxing” bandwagon. Masculinity influencers throw around medical terminology and cite scientific studies with the confidence and authority of a licensed doctor. Real medical professionals, however, seem to be generally unanimous in the ineffective and dangerous nature of some of these practices.

Both the British Orthodontic Society and the American Association of Orthodontists state that there is no scientific evidence to support mewing, and the latter also claims the practice could lead to tooth alignment disruption, bite problems, and speech issues.

The American Dental Association, meanwhile, announced that fitness chewing gum can lead to inflammation and jaw pain, and that some of these gums contain caffeine and vitamin B5, which can act as a laxative in high doses. Dentists have also warned that using this gum may lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.

And while recommendations to take growth hormone may be rampant on “looksmaxxing” forums, Jason Nagata, MD, MSc, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California San Francisco, urges caution. He says that growth hormone is meant to be used to address specific medical conditions like genetic disorders or a medically verified growth hormone deficiency, and should only ever be used under the supervision of a medical professional. “Misusing growth hormone can lead to serious side effects, including joint pain, headaches, and insulin resistance, so close medical monitoring is essential,” he says.

Even some of the over-the-counter supplements and protein powders that are widely recommended by masculinity influencers and “looksmaxxers” can have negative health effects. Katie Hurley, DSW, LCSW, a child and adolescent psychotherapist and senior director of clinical advising and community programs at the Jed Foundation, encourages parents to read the labels of any supplements or protein powders their sons are currently using or interested in trying. She warns that some of these products have been found to affect moods.

How ‘Looksmaxxing’ Is Fueling a Mental Health Crisis

A common practice in “looksmaxxing” forums, like looksmax.org and r/Mewing, is for young teens and tweens to post detailed measurements of their bodies and attach multiple photographs of every angle of their face and bodies to encourage others to rate their sexual market value and offer recommendations on how to enhance their appearance.

There are also apps like Umax and Looksmaxxing GPT where teens can upload photos of themselves and receive AI-generated ratings and recommendations. Some of these apps provide ratings not just on overall looks or potential for improvement but go so far as to provide a “masculinity” score based on uploaded photos.

Even if boys are not engaging with the content to this level, research finds this hypermasculine body content and similar social media content can still negatively affect teen mental health.

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General said the risk of anxiety and depression doubles in adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media. And in the same statement, almost half of adolescents stated that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.

Dr. Nagata also points to studies that find that the more time boys spend on Instagram, the more likely they are to engage in disordered eating, be dissatisfied with their own appearance (and their muscles, in particular), and the more likely they are to take performance-enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids. “Since 2002, there’s been over a 400% increase in hospitalizations for eating disorders in boys,” he says.

Dr. Nagata clarifies that while eating disorders in boys can sometimes look like anorexia, it has become more common for boys to develop bigorexia, or muscle dysmorphia, an obsession with developing bigger muscles.

Another research study shows that young men who engage with masculinity influencers reported high levels of psychological distress, including high rates of worthlessness, nervousness, and sadness compared to boys not engaging with the content.

What Parents Can Do To Help

Social media has seeped into so much of the childhood experience and how children relate to each other that it can be hard to identify when a child is struggling. Hurley says the best way for parents to monitor social media’s impact on their child’s life is to keep a monthly log of their activity level, routines, habits, and behaviors, which she explains will help parents identify if and when signs of negative patterns begin to form.

Having conversations with boys about “looksmaxxing” content and how they perceive their own bodies in relation to others can also be helpful. But Hurley is aware that some boys may find it difficult to open up about these topics. In those cases, she’s provided some ideas to help parents manage these tricky discussions:

Take care of yourself first. It’s important to approach these conversations calmly. Find a way to take care of yourself before taking on the conversation to ensure you are able to create a space where your son feels able to share his experiences.
Combine these conversations with activities. Try kicking off a conversation while taking a walk, playing a board game, or doing house chores together. The act of being in motion acts as a “tension release” which can make it easier for boys to talk about hard things.
Ask open-ended questions. Approaching your son with curiosity and open-ended questions can help him feel more encouraged to open up. For instance, you can ask: “What is it like to be a teenage boy in today’s world?” or “I noticed you seem to like to eat the same things every day. Can you tell me more about that?” or “What’s new on TikTok that you’re interested in? Can you share with me some of your favorite TikTokers? I’m curious to see what you like.”
Create a strengths board. Sit with your son and create a list of things he’s good at. Write it down on a large board and put it in a place that is visible to him every day. As he learns new things, you can update the board together. A strengths board can serve as a healthy counterbalance for teens on social media platforms that are designed to feed off teen insecurities.
Validate their experience. If they are worried about being short, for example, ask them to tell you more about what it feels like to be short among tall boys. After listening, validate their experience by saying something like, “That does sound hard.”
Incorporate male voices. Ask fathers, grandfathers, uncles, older brothers, or close adult male friends to share their experiences and mindsets about their growing bodies during adolescence.
Fact check together. Equip your son with facts to help him feel more secure when faced with “looksmaxxing” content. When did the men in your family hit their growth spurts? At what age did his favorite athletes begin getting taller? What athletes or other impactful men are not tall but are still respected for their contributions? Show him that not all important male figures fit conventional beauty standards.

If you’re wondering when to reach out for help, Hurley says it never hurts to check in with your child’s pediatrician or a therapist. “It’s always a good time to ask somebody if you feel like you’re out of your depth and you don’t know how to assess the situation,” she says.

Red Flags To Watch For

If concerns about their appearance become an obsession or preoccupation. For example, teens shouldn’t be exercising five to six hours a day or eating very restrictive diets.
If they experience noticeable weight loss in a short amount of time or extreme fatigue that lasts more than two weeks.
If their behaviors impact schoolwork or they begin retreating from their social lives, or if you’re seeing their quality of life negatively impacted in other ways.
If your son is suddenly unable to sit still and begins to seem jittery. In teens without ADHD, this can be a sign of steroid or creatine use.
Remember: Depression in teenage boys does not look like crying and sadness. More often, it tends to look like intense anger and outbursts.