Glow Up for MenThe basics
What is looksmaxxing (and how to do it without hurting yourself)
Short answer
Looksmaxxing is improving your appearance as much as possible. It splits into softmaxxing (habits: skin, hair, physique, posture, style, sleep) and hardmaxxing (surgery and extreme methods). What actually shows day to day is the first one, and it's free.
Meaning and origin
The word combines *looks* and *maxxing* (taking something to the max). It started on English-language forums over a decade ago and blew up on TikTok around 2023–2024, with before-and-after videos, memes (“mewing”, “mogging”) and scales for rating faces.
Underneath there's something reasonable —wanting to look and feel better— mixed with a lot of comparison and a few dangerous ideas. Separating the two is the whole point.
Softmaxxing vs hardmaxxing
This site and the app stay on the soft side. Not because the rest is “cheating”, but because it's what depends on you, it's sustainable and it has no serious side effects.
| Softmaxxing | Hardmaxxing | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Habits and care: skin, hair, body fat, posture, sleep, clothes, grooming | Surgery, injectables, drugs, extreme practices |
| Cost | Almost free | Expensive |
| Risk | Low | Moderate to high |
| When it shows | Days (sleep, grooming) to months (physique) | Varies; some changes are irreversible |
The slang, explained
- Mewing: resting your whole tongue on the roof of your mouth. It has its own guide with what the evidence says.
- Mogging: “outshining” someone on looks. Pure comparison meme.
- PSL / the scale: 1–10 ratings and tiers like “normie” or “chad”. Explained in the looksmaxxing scale.
- Bone smashing: hitting your face to “remodel” the bone. It doesn't work and can injure you: don't.
- Glow up: the visible change after a stretch of good habits. That's the healthy goal of all this.
What actually works
- Sleep: fixed schedule and 7–9 hours. Fewer dark circles and less puffiness, more energy for everything else.
- Skin: cleanse, moisturize and sunscreen. Step-by-step routine.
- Body fat: training and eating sensibly is what defines your face and jaw most. More here.
- Posture: changes your silhouette instantly. Exercises.
- Grooming and style: a haircut that suits you, a clean beard line, clothes that fit.
- Confidence: talking to people, eye contact, holding a conversation. It can be trained too.
What to avoid
- Crash diets or long fasts to “sharpen your face”.
- Bone smashing and anything that hurts you.
- Steroids or drugs without medical supervision.
- Spending hours rating your face with AI or comparing yourself. If it starts to obsess you or bring you down, talk to someone you trust or a professional.
Frequently asked questions
Is looksmaxxing bad?
It depends how you do it. Looking after your skin, training, sleeping and dressing better is healthy. Extreme practices and obsessing over a score are what cause harm.
Is looksmaxxing only for men?
It started in guys' communities, but the habits (skin, sleep, posture, style) work for anyone.
What should I do first?
Set a sleep schedule and start a minimal skin care routine. They're the two changes with the best effort-to-result ratio.
What is softmaxxing?
The habit and self-care side of looksmaxxing, with no surgery or extreme methods.
Keep reading
Want to make it a habit? Looksmaxxing: Glow Up Coach gives you one small challenge a day and an AI coach to help you stick to it.