A cosmetic social media trend is targeting vulnerable young men
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The trend has existed for at least a decade, but has recently been popularised and redefined on TikTok
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Looksmaxxing is aimed at young boys and men who want to change their appearance to become more attractive to gain social acceptance, the Conversation reported
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Teenage boys and young men are directly to chat rooms where they're instructed to upload photos in exchange for advice
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The process begins with softmaxxing which including basic hygiene like teeth brushing and whitening, removal of face and body hair etc
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It then progresses to Hardmaxxing which urges users to improve their appearance. It includes steroid use, hair transplants, plastic surgery, to name a few
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Looksmaxxing may appear harmless at first, but at its core it ties to violence, suicide and incels (involuntary celibates)
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Vulnerable young girls and boys who grow up on social media are especially susceptible to self-commodification and an obsession with appearance
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Looksmaxxing can perpetuate unrealistic physical expectations