# Looksmaxxing > Looksmaxxing is a 2015 slang term from the incel forum Lookism.net describing the practice of maximizing one's appearance through grooming and fitness, which became a viral TikTok trend defined by pseudoscientific concepts like mewing and mogging. Looksmaxxing is a slang term for the practice of maximizing one's physical appearance, rooted in incel message boards from the mid-2010s. What started as niche forum advice about grooming and fitness on sites like Lookism.net grew into a massive TikTok trend by 2023, bringing with it a strange vocabulary of "mewing," "bonesmashing," and "mogging" that spread far beyond its origins. The concept sits on a spectrum from harmless self-care to medically dangerous pseudoscience, and its rapid mainstream adoption among teenage boys has raised serious concerns from parents, teachers, and medical professionals. ## Origin The term "looksmaxxing" originated on Lookism.net, an incel forum website created on June 27, 2015, according to ICANN records[4]. The site's "Looksmaxxing" forum was archived by the Internet Archive on July 3, 2015, with the earliest visible post dating to June 29th[4]. The forum hosted discussions about "aesthetics, red pill, and masculinity," offering guides on everything from skincare products to cosmetic surgery[12]. The concept didn't emerge in a vacuum. Before Lookism.net, similar discussions happened on PUAhate.com (an anti-pickup-artist forum) and Sluthate.com, which together with Lookism.net formed what users called the "PSL" network[9]. These forums evolved from criticizing dating advice gurus into obsessing over physical appearance as the primary driver of romantic success. Users developed their own "objective" rating systems following a rough normal distribution, known as PSL ratings[9]. On August 22, 2015, a companion site called Looksmaxxer.com launched[4]. This prompted the first known use of "looksmaxx" on 4chan, appearing on the /r9k/ board on November 8, 2015, where a user asked "why don't you looksmaxx?"[11]. The term hit 4chan's /pol/ board by November 4, 2016[4]. By January 2016, "looksmaxxing" had spread to Twitter[4]. - **Platform:** Lookism.net (forum origin), TikTok (mainstream spread) - **Creator:** Unknown (community-created on incel forums); Kareem Shami aka syrianpsycho (major TikTok popularizer), Braden Peters aka Clavicular (prominent influencer) - **Date:** 2015 ## Overview Looksmaxxing refers to deliberately improving your physical appearance to maximize attractiveness. The term borrows from gaming culture, where "min-maxing" means optimizing a character's stats in RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons[2]. Drop the "min," keep the optimization mindset, and apply it to your face instead of a fantasy character. The community divides methods into two broad categories. "Softmaxxing" covers low-risk improvements like skincare routines, gym workouts, better grooming, and improved fashion[5]. "Hardmaxxing" pushes into more extreme territory: cosmetic surgery, anabolic steroids, extreme caloric restriction ("starvemaxxing"), and the genuinely dangerous practice of "bonesmashing," which involves striking your own face with blunt objects in the belief that micro-fractures will heal into sharper bone structure[2]. Medical professionals have condemned bonesmashing outright, and no credible evidence supports it[5]. The subculture comes loaded with its own vocabulary. "Mogging" means outshining someone in looks. "Canthal tilt" refers to the angle of the eyes. "Hunter eyes" are eyes angled slightly downward toward the nose, considered ideal. "SMV" stands for sexual market value. "Chad" is a naturally attractive man, and "Gigachad" is the meme version of peak male aesthetics[2]. Users on looksmaxxing forums rate each other's faces using terms like "sub5" for below average and "Chadlite" for the genetically fortunate[1]. ## How It Spread Through the late 2010s, looksmaxxing vocabulary became standard across the "incelosphere." The banned subreddit r/Braincels saw frequent usage starting with a post on May 7, 2018[4]. The Lookism.net Instagram page launched on September 21, 2018, posting examples of "hunter eyes" and using terms like "mogging" alongside photos of celebrities[4]. Despite years of forum activity, looksmaxxing didn't hit mainstream awareness until 2022-2023, when TikTok creators began making content about it[4]. The TikTok wave initially leaned ironic. On July 25, 2023, TikToker @olioco0 posted a video using a face filter to exaggerate his jawline while claiming he had good "carnal tilt," set to a slowed + reverb remix of "ecstacy" by SUICIDAL-IDOL. The clip pulled roughly 564,700 views and 46,800 likes in ten days[4]. That same day, TikToker @phiziqu mocked the trend by referencing bonesmashing and mewing, racking up 1.7 million views and 204,300 likes in the same period[4]. The hashtag #looksmaxxing accumulated over 2 billion views on TikTok[8]. Much of the TikTok content used images and videos of male model Jordan Barrett as the visual ideal[4]. Creators like Kareem Shami (syrianpsycho), a 22-year-old student at UC San Diego with over 1.5 million TikTok followers, built large audiences around looksmaxxing advice[3]. Shami, who grew up in Syria before his family fled the civil war in 2012, began posting transformation content and softmaxxing tips after arriving in the US[6]. ## How to Use Looksmaxxing is a subculture with multiple meme formats, ranging from sincere glow-up content to ironic parodies of extreme self-improvement practices. 1. For transformation videos: post a rough 'before' image, then cut to an 'after' with improved grooming, fitness, and style — the more dramatic the contrast, the better 2. For ironic self-rating: film yourself with dramatic lighting or filters, claim exaggerated stats using terms like 'hunter eyes' or 'positive canthal tilt' 3. For parodies: mock extreme practices like bonesmashing or mewing by pretending to explain them seriously, escalating to absurd conclusions with deadpan delivery 4. For American Psycho edits: repurpose Patrick Bateman's morning routine as a genuine self-care tutorial layered with looksmaxxing terminology ## Cultural Impact Looksmaxxing crossed from internet subculture into mainstream concern rapidly. The Guardian published a feature in February 2024 exploring how the trend was "reshaping young men's faces," interviewing forum users who had spent thousands on cosmetic procedures[3]. The BBC covered it as "the extreme cosmetic social media trend" in March 2024[6]. The trend reached schools. The UCL and University of Kent report on TikTok's role in amplifying misogynistic content put looksmaxxing at the center of conversations about young men's mental health in educational settings[3]. Former teacher Mike Nicholson described looksmaxxing awareness as nearly universal among the student groups he works with[3]. Dr. Jamilla Rosdahl of the Australian College of Applied Psychology framed the appeal in terms of control: "Where young people feel like they can't control their environment, they may turn to trends such as looksmaxxing as something they can control," pointing to economic instability and dating difficulties as contributing factors[5]. The Netflix documentary Open Wide covered mewing and its originator, orthodontist John Mew, bringing the practice to an even wider audience[6]. Looksmaxxing language like "mogging," "mewing," and "SMV" entered casual internet conversation far beyond the communities where it originated[8]. Researchers at Loyola University compared looksmaxxing communities to "pro-ana" (pro-anorexia) spaces, noting that both normalize harmful behaviors through emotional support and community validation while obsessing over physical metrics[7]. ## Fun Facts - Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, a character created to satirize narcissistic materialism, is treated unironically as a role model in looksmaxxing communities. His morning routine scene has been watched over 17 million times on YouTube[8]. - The term "-maxxing" comes from RPG gaming culture, where "min-maxing" meant optimizing a character's stats. The internet dropped the "min" and kept the optimization mindset[2]. - Looksmax.org's Discord server has a channel called "incels-co" that scrapes posts from X, many openly misogynistic[1]. - Clavicular went viral for saying he wouldn't vote for JD Vance because Vance is "obese," while Gavin Newsom is a "6'3 Chad"[1]. - Male models like Jordan Barrett and Francisco Lachowski became pin-ups in looksmaxxing communities without their involvement or endorsement[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is looksmaxxing? Looksmaxxing is the practice of deliberately improving physical appearance to maximize attractiveness, ranging from basic grooming and fitness to extreme cosmetic procedures and pseudoscientific techniques like bonesmashing[2]. ### Where did looksmaxxing come from? The term originated on the incel forum Lookism.net, created in June 2015, with the site's "Looksmaxxing" forum appearing in the Internet Archive by July 3, 2015[4]. ### What does looksmaxxing mean? It means maximizing your looks, borrowed from gaming culture's "min-maxing" concept of optimizing character statistics. In practice, it covers any deliberate effort to improve physical appearance[2]. ### How do you use the term looksmaxxing? People use it as both a verb ("I've been looksmaxxing") and a noun ("looksmaxxing community"). On TikTok, it's often used in transformation videos or ironic self-rating content set to slowed + reverb music[4]. ### Is looksmaxxing still popular? As of early 2026, looksmaxxing is still actively discussed across TikTok, Discord, and streaming platforms, with influencers like Clavicular drawing tens of thousands of live viewers on Kick[7]. ### What is the difference between softmaxxing and hardmaxxing? Softmaxxing involves low-risk methods like skincare, exercise, and grooming. Hardmaxxing covers more extreme interventions including cosmetic surgery, steroid use, and practices like bonesmashing[5]. ### What is mewing? Mewing is a technique of pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth to supposedly improve jawline definition, named after British orthodontist John Mew. The American Association of Orthodontists has stated there is minimal scientific evidence supporting its claims[6]. ### What is bonesmashing? Bonesmashing is the practice of repeatedly striking facial bones with blunt objects in the belief that micro-fractures will heal into more defined bone structure. Medical professionals strongly condemn it, and no credible evidence supports it[2]. ### Who is Clavicular? Clavicular is the online persona of Braden Peters, a Kick streamer who became closely associated with looksmaxxing by 2025. He sells a $50/month looksmaxxing course and has claimed to have started testosterone injections at age 14[1]. ### Who is syrianpsycho? Syrianpsycho is Kareem Shami, a 22-year-old UC San Diego student with over 1.5 million TikTok followers who creates looksmaxxing content. His family fled Syria's civil war in 2012[3]. ### Is looksmaxxing connected to incel culture? Yes. The term originated on incel forums and the broader PSL (PUAhate, Sluthate, Lookism) network of websites[9]. A 2025 study found incel-adjacent accounts increasingly rebrand as self-improvement creators to avoid moderation[7]. ### What is mogging? Mogging is looksmaxxing slang for completely outshining someone in terms of appearance. If someone is "mogging the room," their looks make everyone else seem average by comparison[2]. ### What does "hunter eyes" mean? Hunter eyes refers to eyes angled slightly downward toward the nose (a positive canthal tilt), considered the ideal eye shape in looksmaxxing communities. The term evokes the gaze of a predatory animal[3]. ### Is looksmaxxing dangerous? Medical professionals have raised serious concerns. Dr. Stuart Murray of USC called the TikTok content "not evidence-based" despite being presented as science[6]. Dr. Milan Agrawal warned it contributes to disordered eating habits among teenage boys[5]. Extreme practices like bonesmashing and steroid abuse carry clear physical risks. ### When did looksmaxxing go viral on TikTok? Looksmaxxing went viral on TikTok in 2023, with the hashtag accumulating over 2 billion views[8]. Key early viral posts appeared on July 25, 2023, including parodies referencing bonesmashing and mewing[4]. ## References 1. [How looksmaxxing became a cult for teenage boys – The UCSD Guardian]() 2. [What Is Looksmaxxing? The Toxic Internet Trend Obsessed With Male Aesthetics | Man of Many]() 3. [From bone smashing to chin extensions: how ‘looksmaxxing’ is reshaping young men’s faces | Body image | The Guardian]() 4. [Looksmaxxing - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Looksmaxxing]() 6. [Looksmaxxing - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [Inside looksmaxxing, the extreme cosmetic social media trend]() 8. [Looksmaxxing: The Rebranded Incel Ideology | The Loyola Phoenix]() 9. [THE DARK SIDE OF LOOKSMAXXING COMPLETELY RUINED HIS LIFE! - смотреть видео онлайн от «RPG Клуб: Эпоха Великих Вождей» в хорошем качестве, бесплатно опубликованное 14 мая 2024 года в 9:26:00 00:36:45.]() 10. [What Is Looksmaxxing? The Trend Reshaping Male Beauty | Neon Music]() 11. [/r9k/ - ROBOT9001 » Thread #24110467]() 12. [Puahate Sluthate Lookism (PSL) - Incel Wiki]() 13. [Looksmaxing - Incel Wiki]() 14. [/r9k/ - ROBOT9001 » Thread #24112239]() 15. [Aesthetics, Red Pill, and Masculinity Discussion - Looksmaxing]() 16. [/pol/ - Politically Incorrect » Thread #96125199]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/looksmaxxing Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library