Looksmaxxing is toxicity on its purest level

Hello!

I am, once again, here to express my opinion on a certain something that has become really popular (is that a good word, does it make sense?) on the last few months. As you can tell from the title, the topic is "Looksmaxxing", and specifically its community. 

 - Disclaimer: as always, you don't have to agree with me! And this is also really long. REALLY long. -

      What is looksmaxxing?

First of all, for those who don't know, what is looksmaxxing? (if you already know, scroll down, The end of the explanation is in bold letters! It's short, but still, just in case)

As you can guess by the composition of the word (composed by the words looks and maxing), the term "looksmaxxing" refers to the optimization of your facial features to achieve a better look, a bigger physical appeal.

This is, however, strictly referring to what's considered attractive for western culture: such as prominent, mature and sharp features, tall stature and full lips. But how did we come to such a (ahem, stupid) standard?

This takes us back in time, to the colonization era, when Europeans started colonizing other territories. Everyone who wasn't european was seen as inferior, right? This meant features that weren't european enough weren't considered to be good enough to be considered beautiful. And this, ultimately, led us into believing in a "european features" supremacy, an eurocentric standard.

So, in short, looksmaxxing refers to the maximization of your looks in a way you'll be considered conventionally attractive according to the western beauty standards.

      My argumentation

To justify my thesis correctly, I'll review the good and the bad in this entry: starting with the good! (we have to be positive in life)

- Point #1: Looksmaxxing encourages you to become the best version of yourself

Putting aside the eurocentrism ideals of the concept, looksmaxxing encourages you to work on yourself to achieve better looks. Working out and healthy diets are heavily encouraged by looksmaxxing, which is also a really good thing that helps you not only become more attractive, but also to have a better lifestyle.

Working out is the prime example. If you want to become the best version of yourself, then of course starting with being in shape is the best. And to achieve this, you need to work out. Of course, looksmaxxing generally encourages you to develope muscles and so, but just moving people towards such a goal like getting fit is enough to consider it as a positive point.

Diets are also a good thing. Sure enough, it's dangerous to follow diets that weren't given to you by professionals. But you can still learn a lot from some of these tips. Did you know sugar makes your face look more swollen? I didn't know until one of the looksmaxxers I talked to told me so!

- Point #2: Better habits

This is really related to last point. Looksmaxxing encourages the developement of different habits that help make your life better, like the two I previously mentioned. There are others as well:

Mewing, for example, is used to supposedly alter the shape of your jawline, to make it look sharper. Although there is no evidence nor research on wether this is true or false, the posture mewing encourages you to take is the correct position the tongue should have. I, for example, have been doing it my whole life unconsciously because of this. And it also helps you breathe better!

Sleeping looking up (by which I mean not on the side. My english is not englishing today) is something looksmaxxers also recommend to avoid facial asymmetry. Sleeping in this position helps to keep the spine on it's right position and to relax your limbs, as well as avoid possible aches in articulations and muscles such as the ones in the neck area. Sure, sleeping like this also has it's bad things, but I find it interesting that they promote something like this that also help in other things! Especially for people with back problems, for example.

- Point #3: Generally friendly base

Another thing that I consider to be good about looksmaxxing is it's community. They are generally friendly (as always I have to generalize, some people are interesting) and open, helping each other on their looksmaxxing journey.

I talk about this from experience, as I talked to some looksmaxxers (as I stated on my first point) on tik tok to get to know a little more about this topic before this entry. They were really nice and helped me out on many things! And on many looksmaxxing videos I saw, there always was people asking on the comments and getting answers. They also give really good advice and cheap solutions for everything! Preventing you in that way from making a dangerous mistake

Now, let's go with the negative aspects of this trend:

- Point #1: Encouraging to change your own ethnical features

Like i stated during the explanation of what looksmaxxing is, it's heavily tied to eurocentric beliefs. And one of these is, that european features are the best to have, and that anything outside of it is not acceptable. Of course they won't say it like that, but it's implied, as all of the advice and tips on how to become more attractive revolve around getting these features, like a small straight nose, hunter eyes, and even specific eye colours! (specifically A10-A17 eyes).

But most of these can't be changed. I'm chilean, and I look really chilean. Which means my skin is slightly tan, I have really dark and fluffy hair, and T50 eyes. I also have a really typical chilean nose, with a downturned point and slightly prominent bone in the middle of it. And going even further, I'm short (157cm), have a lot of face fat and a masculine skull. Can I be considered pretty by looksmaxxers? Most likely not, even when I do consider myself good looking.

Looksmaxxing basically tells you (although not explicitly), that the features you were born with are not pretty and you should change them to look more european, instead of encouraging you to be proud of them and work with what you already have.

- Point #2: Toxic standards: You'll most likely never be pretty enough

Looksmaxxing revolves around concepts like the golden ratio (a mathematical concept described by a numerical sequence that describes beauty) and the PSL scale (which basically measures the uniqueness of your face, it's harmony and features) to determine wether a person is attractive or not.

None of these do necessarily translate into real life physical appeal. Someone may be high rated by these scales, yet not be considered attractive by anyone. On the other side, someone with low ratings may be viewed as a really attractive person (i can maybe make an entry specifically on this...). I, for example, am rated 8.75 by the golden ratio (classified as "pretty") and to have a facial beauty of 98% according to the site "beauty scale". But in my short 16 years of life I've never had a single person attracted to me in any way, even when people are normally really forward with this kind of things in my country. And I've met people who score low on these sites that have a lot of play in these fields! They mog me into oblivion

   If you want to check yours, the app for the golden ratio is called "golden ratio face" and the site is this one: https://www.prettyscale.com/es/ (disclaimer: if you are a sensitive person, don't do it. I did it because I'm happy with the way I look regardless of what a stupid scan says. If you have a low self esteem, however, avoid doing this)

- Point #3: Competition, ego and jealousy

Again, I can't say much for people from english speaking countries because what I see is from the hispanic side. But there's a really particular case in the spanish speaking looksmaxxing community that caught my attention: There's a 14 year old kid on tik tok named Ramses that's really good looking and became quickly one of the best known names on the hispanic community.

But it comes with a lot of backlash too: he's constantly being compared to other looksmaxxers or even with models and actors like DiCaprio on his prime (which is extremely weird, as he's only 14, but also something to be weirdly proud of), or being told he isn't handsome at all and receiving negative comments on his looks. Which is understandable, not everyone has to find him attractive, as beauty is subjective. But talking like that to a boy is nothing to look over...

This boy also compares himself to models, without the need of people doing it with him. The difference is, that while others do it to put him down, he does it to put himself up. And he puts people down while doing this, too. People who are considered as good-looking by looksmaxxing ideals tend to become egocentric as well.

      Conclusion

Now we come to my initial statement: looksmaxxing is toxicity on its purest level.

To me, personally, the cons take the pros out of the table easily. Although looksmaxxing does have it's positive aspects, what it does the most is to put down others for not looking the way the european standards wants them to. And of course, not everyone is european, and not all europeans are on this standard.

Looksmaxxing is a toxic, competitive community that gives value to a person's life according to their looks and not what they are. It's also a rather racist trend, though I hate using this word as it is too strong and not everyone who follows it is racist. I believe most of the people who follow it don't even realize how this trend puts down other races.

To me is this trend concerning, I feel like it unconsiously deteriorates one's mental health eihtout even realizing: when we don't see immediate results from the looksmaxxing techniques, most of us become disappointed and start feeling bad about ourselves, instead of feeling better like this trend is supposed to make us feel.

That was everything I wanted to say on this topic! But i still thing there are many things i left unsaid. But, if anyone reads this, what do you think on this topic? Something really interesting about us humans is how we appreciate beauty. It's really poetic, but also concerning in a way. So, if anyone wants to share their opinion, I would love to read it!

That's all. I already have another topic I'd like to write about, so I'll come back. And maybe also with some actual blogging of my life one day. Wish you all a merry christmas!