Women Were the Original Looksmaxxers By Clare Snyder

I am sure we have all heard of the current trend on social media, “looksmaxxing.” After watching young men justify hitting themselves in the face with a hammer to define their jaw line (a practice commonly known as bonesmashing) while simultaneously applying concealer, perming their hair, and hyperfixating on the perfect skincare routine, I felt a strong sense of familiarity. The internet finally made boys hate their faces in the same way women have for generations.

Women were the original looksmaxxers. Corsets, fake tanning, harsh dieting, lash extensions, hair removal, lip fillers, contouring, and anti-aging products; the list could go on forever. Yet when men do it, it is not typical maintenance; it is an outlandish, culturally relevant phenomenon. Some elements of looksmaxxing feel honestly concerning. Impressionable teenagers should not be taking facial reconstruction advice from random thirteen-year-olds on their For You Page.

Yet underneath the disturbing nature of it all is an insecurity that feels deeply familiar. Young men are uncovering the same thing women are historically taught: physical attractiveness is treated as a necessity rather than a bonus.

Looksmaxxing feels so absurd because of the transparency of it all, not the behavior. From an early age, women have been taught to do the things that make them prettier, but to do it quietly. The looksmaxxing trend has made these practices public, transforming insecurity that used to be kept private into a means for TikTok content and views.
Perhaps that is why looksmaxxing feels laughable yet somehow inevitable. We are living in an internet culture that emphasizes visibility. One way or another, everyone will become highly aware of their own appearance.