How far will the younger generation go to look good?
It is easy to laugh at young people who measure themselves in the mirror and try to improve every detail of their appearance, but perhaps they are simply playing by the rules the world has taught them. Perhaps they are the result, not the cause — an entire generation grew up in front of filters, algorithms, influencers, and photos of celebrities that have been retouched and edited, and received the message again and again that appearance is another goal that needs to be worked on. Looksmaxxing may seem like an extreme phenomenon, but it was not born in a vacuum; it is a product of a culture that has turned beauty into an endless project.
It is easy to laugh at young people who measure themselves in the mirror and try to improve every detail of their appearance, but perhaps they are simply playing by the rules the world has taught them.
Perhaps they are the result, not the cause — an entire generation grew up in front of filters, algorithms, influencers, and photos of celebrities that have been retouched and edited, and received the message again and again that appearance is another goal that needs to be worked on. Looksmaxxing may seem like an extreme phenomenon, but it was not born in a vacuum; it is a product of a culture that has turned beauty into an endless project.
What is Looksmaxxing anyway?
If you think that the pursuit of the perfect look has until now been limited to face cream, the gym, and flattering clothes, meet the next stage: Looksmaxxing. The term, which came from social networks, describes an attempt to maximize one's external appearance through a series of actions — from grooming, nutrition, fitness, and haircuts to more extreme methods aimed at changing or improving facial and body features. What started as an online phenomenon has increasingly found a place outside the screen in recent years.
So why Looksmaxxing, and not just "grooming"? The term is mainly identified with young men, although the pursuit of a well-groomed look is far from new. Women have lived for years in a culture that expects them to invest in their skin, hair, makeup, fashion, and appearance in general. For men, on the other hand, this discourse has received a new name in recent years, its own language, and entire communities online — Looksmaxxing.
Where is the line drawn?
In practice, Looksmaxxing can look very different from person to person. For some, it involves relatively daily things like a grooming routine, a haircut, fitness, nutrition, sleep, and choosing clothes that flatter them. But online, one can also find much more extreme advice and methods — from exercises to change facial structure to aesthetic treatments and medical procedures, such as eye surgery and facial surgery. As appearance becomes a project that must be constantly improved, the question also arises as to where the line is drawn between self-care and an obsession with appearance.
Pretty Privilege
Alongside the pursuit of improving one's appearance, a discourse on "Pretty Privilege" has also emerged online in recent years — the idea that people who are perceived as beautiful or attractive receive different treatment from their environment and sometimes enjoy advantages that are not necessarily related to their abilities or character. Women often talk about this phenomenon on social networks, sharing experiences where they noticed that the treatment of others changed according to their appearance, and asking how much beauty really influences the way we perceive a person and treat them.
If beauty grants an advantage, it is perhaps not surprising that people are willing to invest so much to achieve it. And this is exactly where Looksmaxxing takes on a broader meaning — it is not just about the desire to look good, but also about the feeling that appearance can influence the way the world treats us.
And what if we maximize something else?
Perhaps the real question is not how far one can go to improve one's appearance, but how we reached a situation where the younger generation feels they must maximize their external appearance to be worthy of appreciation. Where did we fail as a society, and what is our part in creating a world where appearance has become such a significant measure of self-worth?
One can take care of oneself, exercise, invest in skin, hair, and clothes, and highlight the beauty that already exists within us; there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good. But the difference between grooming and Looksmaxxing is profound. Perhaps it is worth investing this energy in maximizing our personality — investing in character, wisdom, compassion, self-confidence, and the things that make us who we are. And the bonus? They will stay with us even in old age.
