'Toxic beauty': Rise of 'looksmaxxing' influencers

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Description

Hankering for a chiseled jawline, a male TikTok influencer strikes his cheekbones with a hammer -- highlighting the rise of "looksmaxxing," an online trend pushing unproven and sometimes dangerous techniques to boost sexual appeal.

Period14 Apr 2025

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Media contributions

  • Title'Toxic beauty': Rise of 'looksmaxxing' influencers
    Degree of recognitionInternational
    Media name/outletFrance 22
    Media typeWeb
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    Date14/04/25
    Description"The incel ideology is being rebranded to looksmaxxing on TikTok," Anda Solea, a researcher at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth, told AFP.

    In a study, Solea found that incel-inspired accounts on TikTok were circumventing a ban on hateful language with a focus on looksmaxxing and more palatable words about self-improvement.
    Producer/AuthorWashington (AFP)
    URLhttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250416-toxic-beauty-rise-of-looksmaxxing-influencers
    PersonsAnda Solea
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