“Looksmaxxing” Trends Debunked, Plus How Cosmetic Surgery Can Safely Improve Your Appearance

The trend of “looksmaxxing” has been the subject of much discussion. Some say that the trend is simply self-improvement with a new name, some think it is sensationalism meant to get clicks, and others dismiss looksmaxxing as a rabbit hole of pseudoscience and dangerous ideas.

While the desire behind looksmaxxing—to have agency over how you look—is a normal feeling, there are many risks inherent in this trend. Unrealistic standards of what makes someone attractive can be mentally and emotionally burdensome, and unscientific DIY “hardmaxxing” —altering your physical appearance through permanent, major, or invasive means—methods are extremely dangerous.

Here, we break down the dangers of at-home cosmetic practices that the trend has popularized, and explain why working with a qualified cosmetic surgeon is key when it comes to changing your appearance.

The desire itself isn’t the problem

Wanting to “maximize your looks” does not make you shallow or insecure. This is the same impulse behind a new haircut, a wardrobe overhaul, or a consistent skincare routine, all of which show an interest in presenting yourself the way you want to be seen.

What is important to note, clinically, is the line between a healthy motivation to look your best and an unhealthy one. Cosmetic surgeons check patients for signs of body dysmorphic disorder or an eating disorder before agreeing to perform surgery. Men and women with these conditions require mental health support, and not a procedure. A small number of people are chasing a change in their appearance that no surgery can actually deliver, and so this is a clinical distinction reputable practitioners of cosmetic medicine are already making every day.

Where the looksmaxxing trend swaps medicine for folklore

Unfortunately, some of the advice that circulates under the looksmaxxing banner is simply pseudoscience with a confident marketing voice. Influencers who practice “bonesmashing” claim that striking your face can reshape your bone structure over time, but this is not possible. Bone does not respond to blunt trauma by remodeling into a stronger jawline; it responds by swelling, bruising, fracturing, and possibly scarring. “Mewing”—a tongue-posture technique claimed to sharpen the jaw—lacks clinical evidence, as well.

While the goal of having a stronger-looking, masculine jawline is common, DIY methods will not achieve this cosmetic outcome. Cosmetic surgeons offer several procedures for jawline enhancement, including chin and jaw implants, structural dermal fillers, or (in rare cases) orthognathic surgery. When you work with a trusted surgeon for these procedures, there is a medical evaluation of your candidacy, discussion about risks and benefits, and careful aesthetic planning to achieve a precise outcome.

• Related: What happens if something goes wrong after cosmetic surgery?

Filler “shortcuts” carry life-threatening risks

FDA-approved dermal fillers like Juvéderm® and Restylane® are medical products injected with precision to create a subtle, cosmetically elegant adjustment in facial appearance. In the hands of a board-certified surgeon, fillers provide predictable results with minimal, well-studied side effects. These are exclusively available through physicians, physician assistants, or nurses who work with a physician because extensive anatomical understanding and specific training is required to avoid injecting into blood vessels and causing a vascular occlusion, which can cause devastating side effects.

In the hands of an unqualified injector, or self-administered from a kit bought online, products may be fake, irreversible, and dangerous. Even an identical product to an FDA-approved version, bought online and self-injected, carries a high risk of vascular occlusion, tissue death, infection, and permanent disfigurement—risks that board-certified cosmetic surgeons undergo rigorous training to learn how to avoid.

The legitimate version of what looksmaxxing promises

A sharper jawline, even skin tone, better facial symmetry and proportion, a stronger chin, and a more defined profile are outcomes cosmetic surgeons deliver every day, using techniques that are studied and refined.

Many of the outcomes promised by trending looksmaxxing techniques can be achieved with established, evidence-based cosmetic procedures that are performed safely in a medical settings every day. But they require a board-certified cosmetic surgeon who not only has the skills to provide an aesthetically pleasing result safely, but also screens patients to make sure they are good candidates with realistic expectations before recommending any procedure.

Men account for a meaningful share of cosmetic procedures performed each year, and some of the most frequently requested surgeries are designed specifically for male anatomy. Gynecomastia surgery (male breast reduction) addresses excess breast tissue that no amount of exercise will correct. Chin and jaw augmentation, rhinoplasty, liposuction, and post-weight loss body contouring are among the other procedures that cosmetic surgeons routinely perform for male patients.

When you work with a cosmetic surgeon, they start by asking about your goals—not what someone online thinks is the definition of attractive. Once they have learned about what you are hoping to achieve, they then help you learn what your options are to safely get there.

Choose a board-certified surgeon who takes your goals seriously

Considering a procedure for yourself? Review these tips for choosing a surgeon, then use our Find-A-Surgeon tool to locate a board-certified surgeon in your area.