Looksmaxxer

Many of Mr. Latham’s followers are so-called Looksmaxxers, part of a booming digital community of young men seeking to enhance their physical attractiveness. Its suffix comes from the world of role-playing games, in which to “max” means to fully develop a single character trait, like strength or wisdom. […] And a frequently alluded-to technique called “bonesmashing,” in which a Looksmaxxer breaks his own jaw or cheek bones in order to make them grow back stronger, is regarded by many Looksmaxxers as a joke.

Promoted by looksmaxxers as a face hack, mewing has gone mainstream, with more than 1bn mentions on TikTok.

Looksmaxxing attaches "scores" to aspects of male appearance, focusing particularly on jawline, muscularity and skin. Looksmaxxers aim to increase their scores via "softmaxxing" (such as using a gua sha, burning more calories than consumed, or moisturising) and "hardmaxxing" (such as steroid use, hair transplants, or cosmetic surgery).

An army of girls and gays—not to mention admiring looksmaxxers—would kill to be where I am now, next to Piker, as he pants in a pair of neon shorts with black Calvin Klein boxers poking out and sunlight glinting off the sweat beaded on his chest hairs.