A Dalhousie University sociology professor is exploring the dangers of the “looksmaxxing” trend among young men. Michael Halpin was the lead author of the study “When Help is Harm: Health, Lookism and Self-Improvement in the Manosphere,” which explored more than 8,000 message board posts in an online looksmaxxing community that receives six million unique visitors per month. “‘Looksmaxxing’ means maximising one’s physical appearance to attract partners and receive the social benefits that accompany being attractive,” the report reads. “We argue that looksmaxxing harms the physical and mental health of the men and boys who participate.” Halpin says many of the people participating in these communities are quite young. “They’re boys who are 13, 14, 15, they’re university students,” said Halpin. “We saw no one get universal praise, we saw everybody get insults. Predominantly, people are told that they’re considerably ugly or unattractive.” The study found members of the online community suggesting tactics such as “mewing” (pressing the tip of the tongue against the roof of the mouth) and “bonesmashing” (deliberating causing small injuries so the bones grow back stronger and more pronounced). “We argue that this practice is tethered to hegemonic ideas about male beauty, both in terms of the aggressive name of the practice and that men are physically harming themselves to appear more manly,” the report reads. “Furthermore, men who practice bonesmashing would experience health consequences (e.g., bleeding, bruising, and soft tissue damage) as they are explicitly aiming to damage their bones to shape their appearance.” Other users discussed surgical alterations such as leg lengthening, rhinoplasty, jaw surgeries, brow ridge shaving and fat removal. According to the report, research found it can lead users to feel demoralized or like failed men, with some being encouraged to self‐harm or even end their lives. “It looks like it’s a community where you’re going to maybe pick up some tips for living a healthier life, maybe modifying your appearance in some way, and instead what many people are getting is, you know, if you can’t hit these benchmarks then you should really consider self harm,” said Halpin. Kara Spear is a registered nurse at the Bedford Skin Clinic. She says more men have been coming in for treatments in recent years. “It’s more or less just taking care of their skin. I do have men who get Botox and filler, but it’s a very subtle enhancement and we’re not necessarily changing someone’s appearance, but more or less restoring it,” she says. Halpin says there is a difference between positive self care and negative obsession, adding society needs to be aware of the slippery slope. Digital anthropologist Giles Crouch adds the trend is a reflection of what women have had to go through for centuries. “Now men are being put through it as well. So, in the longer term, what might actually happen is that these movements peter out and people get better ideas,” he said. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
