Hankering for a chiselled jawline, a male TikTok influencer strikes his face with a hammer โ highlighting the rise of โlooksmaxxingโ, an online trend pushing unproven and sometimes dangerous techniques to boost sexual appeal.
Looksmaxxing influencers โ part of an online ecosystem dubbed the โmanosphereโ โ have surged in popularity across social media, capitalising on the insecurities of young men eager to boost their physical attractiveness.
In posts across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, they promote pseudoscientific methods to achieve everything from pouty lips to chin extensions and almond-shaped โhunter eyesโ, often while monetising their popularity by endorsing a range of consumer products.
In more extreme cases, these influencers advocate taking steroids, undergoing plastic surgery and even โleg-lengtheningโ procedures to become more attractive.
While women may visit aestheticians or buy beauty products, spurring a global beauty retail market worth hundreds of billions of dollars, the manosphere at times promotes a DIY approach that draws on the nearest toolbox.