Young men pursue extreme 'looksmaxxing' to transform appearance and status
An online movement called looksmaxxing pushes young men to extreme measures to maximize physical attractiveness.
Cyrus, 20, organizes his life around measurements: body fat, calories, sleep, blood glucose and testosterone. His routine includes medications, supplements, tanning, and dyeing his hair and eyebrows.
A heart scan found "very slight changes". Looksmaxxing is an online movement ranging from ordinary grooming and exercise to cosmetic procedures and "bonesmashing", hitting facial bones to reshape them.
Looksmaxxers rank faces on a "sexual market value" scale from "subhuman" to "Gigachad". The movement started on niche forums but has spread to TikTok and Instagram.
A 2025 Movember Institute report found almost two-thirds of Australian men aged 16 to 25 engage with masculinity influencers. For many, a better face or body promises to fix social isolation, career barriers and romantic frustration.
- 20
- Cyrus's age
- Close to 10 per cent
- Body fat target
- 100 kilograms
- Bulking target
Why it mattersYoung men are internalizing the belief that physical change can solve deeper problems. This potentially drives them toward risky health choices and extreme communities.
AustraliaTwo-thirds of Australian men aged 16 to 25 engage with masculinity influencers. Health and psychology services should understand this cultural shift to support vulnerable young men.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 9 h ago
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