From Fitness Maintenance to Bone Sculpting: How Looksmaxxing is Leading Young Western Men to Extremes?
The 'Looksmaxxing' trend, an extreme focus on appearance, is spreading among young men in Europe and America, leading to increasingly extreme behaviors. Originating from the incel community, it aims to achieve social success and attractiveness through appearance enhancement, but is associated with high-risk practices, misogyny, and racism.
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- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 19:22
- 🔍 Collected: May 7, 2026 at 19:32 (9 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 7, 2026 at 19:54 (22 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency website) The 'Looksmaxxing' trend, an extreme focus on appearance, is spreading among young men in Europe and America, with many engaging in various high-risk behaviors to pursue ideal physiques and faces. The concept of Looksmaxxing originated from the 'involuntary celibates' (incel) community, a misogynistic ideology that claims the only way for men to achieve happiness, success, and sexual attraction from women is to improve their appearance.
Deutsche Welle reported that looksmaxxing influencers assure socially isolated young incels that by undergoing strict dieting (starvemaxxing), heavy steroid use and weight training, plastic surgery, and even hitting their faces with hammers to create a sharper jawline (bonesmashing), they can find better jobs and attract more sexual partners.
One of the most well-known figures in the current looksmaxxing scene is 20-year-old American influencer Clavicular. He shares on TikTok and live streams how he 'evolved' into an alpha male, including long-term use of high-dose amphetamines and testosterone (which he states may have made him infertile), and even hitting his cheekbones to make his face more defined.
BBC News reported that Anda Solea, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth, pointed out that the content young men see on social media platforms, often pushed by powerful algorithms, gradually leads them to the darker corners of the 'manosphere'.
Solea questioned, if these men have put in extreme effort to improve their appearance but still feel unwelcome by women, "will they start blaming women who don't want them, leading to misogynistic sentiments?"
This extreme culture was also documented by journalist Louis Theroux in the Netflix documentary "Louis Theroux: The Manosphere", which deeply explores the world of toxic masculinity influencers.
Jordan Foster, an assistant professor of sociology at MacEwan University in Canada, described Looksmaxxing as "a highly seductive trap for men, especially vulnerable young men," because these individuals may already feel anxious and frustrated about their future or current social conditions.
Valerie Adams-Bass, an assistant professor of child studies at Rutgers University in the United States, noted that social culture still makes it difficult for many boys to express emotions. She said, "Boys are not encouraged to say, 'I had a bad day today,' in their families, especially among peers. Compared to girls, they are not taught to express emotions in this way."
NPR reported that Gene Beresin, executive director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital, has observed a significant increase in dangerous behaviors among male adolescents due to appearance in recent years, which can lead to serious mental and physical health problems such as eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder.
Another aspect that worries Beresin is the clear and inseparable link between looksmaxxing and white supremacy. Deutsche Welle pointed out that looksmaxxing originated from the misogynistic manosphere culture closely associated with the MAGA camp, and therefore often carries racist undertones.
Beresin suggested that parents and caregivers should discuss appearance and self-esteem issues with children from an early age and listen with an open mind; Adams-Bass also stated that redirecting young people's attention to interesting and meaningful activities can not only help them stay away from unhealthy behaviors but also bring long-term benefits. (Editor: Wang Jiayu) 1150507
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(Central News Agency website) The 'Looksmaxxing' trend, an extreme focus on appearance, is spreading among young men in Europe and America, with many engaging in various high-risk behaviors to pursue ideal physiques and faces. The concept of Looksmaxxing originated from the 'involuntary celibates' (incel) community, a misogynistic ideology that claims the only way for men to achieve happiness, success, and sexual attraction from women is to improve their appearance.
Deutsche Welle reported that looksmaxxing influencers assure socially isolated young incels that by undergoing strict dieting (starvemaxxing), heavy steroid use and weight training, plastic surgery, and even hitting their faces with hammers to create a sharper jawline (bonesmashing), they can find better jobs and attract more sexual partners.
One of the most well-known figures in the current looksmaxxing scene is 20-year-old American influencer Clavicular. He shares on TikTok and live streams how he 'evolved' into an alpha male, including long-term use of high-dose amphetamines and testosterone (which he states may have made him infertile), and even hitting his cheekbones to make his face more defined.
BBC News reported that Anda Solea, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth, pointed out that the content young men see on social media platforms, often pushed by powerful algorithms, gradually leads them to the darker corners of the 'manosphere'.
Solea questioned, if these men have put in extreme effort to improve their appearance but still feel unwelcome by women, "will they start blaming women who don't want them, leading to misogynistic sentiments?"
This extreme culture was also documented by journalist Louis Theroux in the Netflix documentary "Louis Theroux: The Manosphere", which deeply explores the world of toxic masculinity influencers.
Jordan Foster, an assistant professor of sociology at MacEwan University in Canada, described Looksmaxxing as "a highly seductive trap for men, especially vulnerable young men," because these individuals may already feel anxious and frustrated about their future or current social conditions.
Valerie Adams-Bass, an assistant professor of child studies at Rutgers University in the United States, noted that social culture still makes it difficult for many boys to express emotions. She said, "Boys are not encouraged to say, 'I had a bad day today,' in their families, especially among peers. Compared to girls, they are not taught to express emotions in this way."
NPR reported that Gene Beresin, executive director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital, has observed a significant increase in dangerous behaviors among male adolescents due to appearance in recent years, which can lead to serious mental and physical health problems such as eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder.
Another aspect that worries Beresin is the clear and inseparable link between looksmaxxing and white supremacy. Deutsche Welle pointed out that looksmaxxing originated from the misogynistic manosphere culture closely associated with the MAGA camp, and therefore often carries racist undertones.
Beresin suggested that parents and caregivers should discuss appearance and self-esteem issues with children from an early age and listen with an open mind; Adams-Bass also stated that redirecting young people's attention to interesting and meaningful activities can not only help them stay away from unhealthy behaviors but also bring long-term benefits. (Editor: Wang Jiayu) 1150507
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.