Beauty’s Buzzwords or Burden?
Terms like "bone smashing," "mewing," "looksmaxxing," and "softmaxxing," might seem like online jargon to the outsider, but for some online spaces they have become focal points for those entirely dedicated with one particular vision of self improvement and physical enhancement.
While we have previously explored some explosions in the rise of bodybuilding in online spaces as well as the changing tides of modern masculinity, today we look at how new methods of self improvement reflect a broader cultural shift within the space.
LOOKSMAXXING
At the root of this cultural shift is a term called looksmaxxing.
Looksmaxxing is said to have found its etymological roots in online Incel forums dating back to the early 2010s.
As a modern trend, Looksmaxxing refers to maximising your physical attractiveness through a variety of different methods, ranging from simple hygienic actions such as basic grooming and skincare, to much more invasive methods such as cosmetic surgery. The communities that stem from this often have a focus on young men in particular.
Within the culture, looksmaxxing can often be split into two unique categories:
Softmaxxing and Hardmaxxing.
Softmaxxing involves a variety of non-invasive practices stemming from the likes of very common actions like moisturising and getting a haircut, to more unique activities like “mewing”, done by repeating a series of exercises with the tongue in order to attain a square and masculine jaw (more on this later). These activities are all predominantly accessible and easily sustained, making them some of the most popular and common features within the looksmaxxing community.
Hardmaxxing lacks this simple entry point, and instead refers to more permanent, costly, and sometimes risky methods, such as cosmetic surgery, bone smashing, and most radical of all: limb lengthening.
These radical steps are finding audiences on youth dominated social media sites, and finding legs across the algorithms of young, oftentimes vulnerable minds.
Speaking with the BBC in March 2024, Dr Stuart Murray, director of the Eating Disorders Program at the University of Southern California said:
"The TikTok stuff out there is not evidence-based, but it's reported as science."
THE LANGUAGE OF BEAUTY
Although looksmaxxing is a new and online term, the actual practice of changing your looks to meet varying beauty standards can be traced back as far as 6000 BCE, with the use of primitive make up. One of the most popular terms within the modern online beauty space is “mewing”.
It has become a largely memeable practice, with posts both poking fun at it, while also glorifying it rack up millions of views.
LINK HERE
The practice itself involves placing the tongue on the top palette of the mouth while applying pressure in order to improve the structure of the jaw itself. Although originally created by controversial British Orthodontist John Mew, it has found a huge following with Gen Z to Gen Alpha audiences. As pointed out in our Word Of The Year issue of 52INSIGHTS, these words:
“act as signifiers of changing times and evolving communication styles”.
EXTREME MEASURES AND RISKS
These practices, especially those within the ‘hardmaxxing’ space come with significant risks, measures, and costs. Limb lengthening, which involves surgeries that increase the length of a subject's bone, while stretching the surrounding ligaments, tendons, and muscles, is especially risky, and can involve months to years worth of recovery.
Although these risks (explored thoroughly in this report by the BBC) seem evident, there is a growing interest in this practice stemming from a burgeoning online community of participating parties, as well as those interested in the process.
LINK HERE
"Bone smashing" is one of the more extreme and less widely known practices gaining traction within certain online male communities. This refers to a highly controversial and dangerous approach to altering your facial structure. The idea behind bone smashing is to reshape the face by applying pressure or external forces to the bones, which, enthusiasts claim, can lead to changes in facial appearance over time, with a desire to have a more chiseled jawline or cheekbones. Its popularity is rising, videos with the phrase “bone smashing tutorial” have already garnered over 267.7 million views on TikTok.
But according to Ben Schultz, MD, this practice is extremely risky:
“People who strike their face in the hopes of gaining a chiseled look might be met with nerve damage, airway obstruction, suffocation or blindness… The act can also lead to osteophytes.”
The pursuit of these online beauty fads and trends can lead to serious mental health issues, as explored in this July 2024 medical research paper.
“The incessant pressure to conform to narrow beauty standards can lead to the development of serious mental health disorders. Conditions such as depression and anxiety can be exacerbated or triggered by persistent body dissatisfaction, creating a cycle of negative self-evaluation and emotional distress.”
ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE
The popularity and growth of these trends has been facilitated by online communities where people share tips, experiences, and encourage each other in their pursuits of physical perfection. Despite some of these spaces meaning well, they foster a culture of comparison and self objectification, often spiralling into unhealthy obsession. After engaging with Mogwarts, one of these online communities, 15 year old Mathias spoke with GQ:
“If I looked at myself six months ago, I would have been like, ‘Wow, it’s such great progress,’ he said. “But now, I look at myself and I’m like, ‘This is not enough.’”
Although men have demonstrated a historical aversion to beauty care, we see this trend shifting, both within these online spaces, but also within a greater cultural trend, demonstrated by commercial changes in the beauty industry. As of 2021, the global market for men’s personal care is valued at $31 billion with projections to grow 9% year on year. The UK’s market share on men’s grooming products alone has increased by almost £100 million from 2017 to 2020, showing a continuous growing economical trend in the softmaxxing space.
This rise of beauty-based online trends, including bone smashing, mewing, looksmaxxing, softmaxxing, and leg lengthening, reflects a larger societal shift in which appearance and self-perception are increasingly influenced by online communities. While some of these trends promote self-improvement, others can perpetuate unrealistic standards and foster harmful practices. As these trends continue to evolve, it will be essential to foster online spaces that encourage healthy self-expression and positive body image.
|
|