This Week in Looksmaxxing

The looksmaxxing phenomenon that started in niche online forums has officially broken into the mainstream. Here's what's happening.

Clavicular is the First Looksmaxxing Star

20-year-old Braden Peters, known as "Clavicular" on streaming platforms, just got profiled by the New York Times as the face of the looksmaxxing movement. ¹ Since age 14, he's been injecting and ingesting controlled substances to "ascend" (looksmaxxing slang for becoming more handsome). The NYT piece paints him as "a beacon for a group of narcissistic, status-obsessed young men" — and he's lean into it. Clavicular dismisses accusations that the subculture is racist as "dumb."

NPR Did a Deep Dive

NPR's "It's Been a Minute" podcast covered looksmaxxing this week, exploring how young men are pushing beauty boundaries with guidance from TikTok. ² The episode digs into how the trend celebrates "intense fitness & skincare routines, extreme body modification, and notably Eurocentric features as the holy grail of modern beauty." The question they asked: who gets locked out when "Chad" is the gold standard?

Holland & Barrett is Cashing In

British retailer Holland & Barrett just reported sales boosted by TikTok health trends — including looksmaxxing-adjacent supplements. CEO Anthony Houghton noted "more and more people are being triggered by social media" to buy wellness products, from rosemary oil to weight-loss jabs. ³

The Dark Side is Real

Psychology Today published a piece warning that "the rise in popularity of looksmaxxing videos and online forums shows that male beauty ideals are becoming more defined and demanding." ⁴ Experts are concerned about teenagers internalizing extreme beauty standards. One particularly dangerous practice called "bonesmashing" (hitting your face to reshape bones) is circulating on TikTok despite warnings from medical professionals.

What We're Watching

Looksmaxxing is following the trajectory of every niche internet subculture that hits mainstream — expect more brand deals, more controversies, and more thinkpieces. The question isn't whether it goes fully mainstream, it's whether the movement survives the scrutiny.

Powered by Zo