Glow-up methods

Looksmaxxing: what really works, and what to avoid

Looksmaxxing is the idea of "maximizing" your appearance. The word comes from English-language forums and has taken over TikTok. It mixes the best (concrete skincare and fitness advice) with the worst (dangerous practices, an obsession with your score). Here is the healthy version.

Updated November 7, 2026 · By Julien Rayes · Version française

Softmaxxing and hardmaxxing

Social media splits it into two camps:

• Softmaxxing: anything simple and reversible, such as skin, haircut, beard, eyebrows, exercise, sleep, and style.
• Hardmaxxing: heavy interventions, up to surgery, often presented as a must.
• GlowUpTogether focuses on the first, plus minimally invasive procedures to discuss with a doctor. Never surgery.

What really works

The most effective levers are also the least spectacular:

• Body fat: it's what makes the jaw and cheekbones show.
• Skin: gentle cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen, and a dermatologist if you have acne.
• A haircut suited to your face shape, and a groomed beard or eyebrows.
• Sleep, water, less alcohol and less salt: fewer dark circles and less puffiness.
• Posture: head straight, shoulders open, and your profile changes right away.
• Clothes that fit.

Dangerous practices to avoid

Some "methods" going around are risky, even serious:

• ⚠️ "Bone smashing": hitting your face to "grow" bone. It's dangerous, and it doesn't work.
• Extreme diets and dehydration to look leaner in photos.
• Steroids, hormones, and products bought online without medical supervision.
• Injections you give yourself or that an unqualified person gives you.
• Jaw devices and "miracle" exercises sold online.

The rating trap

Rating yourself out of 10, comparing every feature, ranking yourself: it can motivate, but it can also become obsessive. A score measures proportions, not your worth. If thinking about your appearance takes up a lot of your time, makes you avoid situations, or makes you suffer, talk to a doctor or a psychologist. Body dysmorphic disorder exists, and it can be treated. 🩺

The GlowUpTogether way

A scan of your face, a score per feature so you know where you stand, then a plan ranked by expected gain. Free habits first, then visible changes, then treatments to discuss with a professional. A 30-day challenge helps you stick with it, alone or with a coach.

What our measurements show

Looksmaxxing forums quote "ideal" values almost nobody has. Among 78 adult faces, none reaches an eye angle of 7°, and none has more than half of its 36 frontal proportions within the reference ranges. 📏

Comparing yourself to those cutoffs mostly leaves you dissatisfied. Measure where you stand instead, and work on the levers that change something.

Measured on November 3, 2026 by the GlowUpTogether engine on 78 compliant front-facing photos (out of 102) from the Face Research Lab London Set (DeBruine and Jones, CC BY 4.0 license): 34 women and 44 men, median age 25. Method and limits (in French).

Frequently asked questions

What does looksmaxxing mean?

It's an internet term for "maximizing your appearance." It covers healthy advice (skincare, exercise, style) as well as dangerous practices.

Is looksmaxxing dangerous?

The basics (skin, sleep, exercise, haircut) aren't. Bone smashing, extreme diets, products taken without medical supervision, and an obsession with your score are.

Where do I start?

With whatever has the most effect on your face. The free scan from GlowUpTogether gives you a score per feature and the order of actions, from the easiest to the most demanding.