Looksmaxxing and why it's Bullshit
Somewhere between TikTok glow-ups and "scientific attractiveness breakdowns," a new obsession was born: looksmaxxing. The idea that if you just optimize your face, body, angles, routine, wardrobe, and prone structure enough, you'll finally be worthy.
And I'm calling it for what it is.
It's bullshit.
What Even is Looksmaxxing?
Looksmaxxing is the belief that your value increases as your physical attractiveness increases, and that you should treat your appearance like a self-improvement project that just NEVER ends.
It promises:
More attention
More respect
Better dating options
Higher social status
A "better life"
But what it actually seems to bring is:
Obsession
Comparison
Insecurity
And a moving finish line that is impossible to reach
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TikTok Turned it Into a Game
Looksmaxxing didn't explode in a vacuum. TikTok gamified it.
Creators like Clav and others helped push hyper-specific beauty analysis into mainstream timelines, breaking down faces like they're math equations.
Suddenly everyone knows terms like:
Canthal tilt
Hunter eyes
Mewing
PSL scale
Mogging
Aura farming
Softmaxxing vs hardmaxxing
Face harmony
leanmaxxing
Glow-up arcs
It stopped being "I want to feel cute."
It became:
Rate youself
Rank others
Fix your bone strucutre
Optimize your genetics
Compete
We're living into a look based dystopian.
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The Lie: "Pretty = Power"
Yes, society rewards beauty. I'm not oblivious. But looksmaxxing twists that into something darker...
"If you're not winning in life, it's because you're not attractive enough."
That mindset quietly tells girls:
Your personality isn't as important.
Your intelligence is just noise.
Your body is a project that needs to be perfected.
Your face is a piece of clay that constantly needs molding.
And here's the part nobody wants to talk about: pretty punishment
Pretty punishment is when girls are told beauty gives them power, but then get judged, minimized, or attacked for having it.
If you're "too pretty," you're:
Not taken seriously.
Accused of using your looks.
Sexualized.
Seen as less intelligent.
Treated like your success must be shallow.
So the same society telling you to "be prettier" also tells you "not to be too pretty." ??
You're punished for not meeting the beauty standard. And punished again for meeting it "too well."
That's literally a trap.
Because once you tie your value to beauty, you're always at risk, either for lacking it or for having it.
And that's why "pretty = power" is SUCH a dangerous lie.
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The Algorithm Made you Insecure on Purpose
Social media thrives on comparison.
Filters, angles, editing, lighting, surgery, all packing it up as a "natural glow up." There's nothing natural about all of that 🤨
You scroll for five minutes and suddenly:
Your noise is too big
Your" maxilla is recessed" (sounds stupid)
Your lips are too thin
Your body isn't "ideal."
But the truth is, most of what you're comparing yourself to isn't even real.
It's all carefully curated, posed, and enhanced.
You're judging your raw, human, beautiful face, against faked slop.
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It Quietly Encourages Body Dysmorphia
Looksmaxxing culture normalizes hyper-fixation:
Bone smashing
Substance abuse
Tracking weight obsessively
Constant comparison
Self surveillance.
There's a difference between:
Taking care of yourself and treating yourself like a broken product.
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The Confidence Trap
The biggest scam?
"Once I look better, I'll be confident."
No. Absolutely not.
Confidence built on appearance is fragile. It shatters the moment:
You gain weight
Someone pretty walks in
You break out
You age
Real confidence isn't built in the mirror. It's but in:
Discipline
Intelligence
Skills
Faith
Boundaries
How you carry yourself
Those don't fade with comparison.
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Taking Care of Yourself Isn't the Problem
Let's be clear.
Working out = healthy!
Skincare = amazing!
Dressing well = fun!
Wanting to feel attractive = normal.
The problem starts when:
You think you're unworthy without it.
You believe beauty is your only leverage.
You chase perfection instead of improvement.
There's a difference between glowing up and hating yourself. Looksmaxxing often disguises the second as the first.
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You are not a Before Photo
You're not a "fixable" face.
You're not behind in some imaginary beauty race.
The most magnetic girls is ANY room usually aren't the most symmetrical... They're the more secure. They laugh loudly, speak clearly, and aren't constantly adjusting themselves.
Energy outshines angles.
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So What Actually Matters?
Instead of looksmaxxing, try this:
Health > thinness
Strength > fragility
Improvement > perfection
Character > comparison
Confidence > constantly correction
Improve because you respect yourself, not because you think you're lacking.
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Final Thoughts
If your self worth rises and falls with your reflection, you will always feel unstable.
But when you build your identity on who you are. Your mind, your values, you discipline, and you beauty becomes a bonus.
Looks eventually fade away.
Personality doesn't.
And you were never meant to live your life trying to earn the right to exist in your own skin.
