Dangerous 'Looksmaxxing' Trend Prompts Self‑Harm Among Young Men

The online movement known as “looksmaxxing” encourages young men to pursue an extreme aesthetic ideal – the “Giga‑Chad” with a highly defined jawline, muscular body and perfect facial proportions. Practitioners analyze their features against a self‑made PSL (Personal Subjective Looks) scale and often resort to hazardous methods such as “bonesmashing,” where hard objects are struck against the face to fracture the jawbone, and the ingestion of large amounts of protein, steroids, laxatives or even crystal meth to sculpt the body.

Digital street‑worker Sabine Dohme, based in Munich, warns that the trend has roots in the “manosphere,” a network overlapping with right‑wing, anti‑feminist ideologies. She notes that participants, feeling socially marginalised, view attractiveness as social currency and may take up to 40 different substances daily to achieve the desired look. The practice poses serious physical injury risks and can exacerbate eating disorders and mental‑health problems.

Authorities and health professionals are urged to raise awareness of the dangers and to provide support for those at risk of self‑harm through extreme body‑modification practices.