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For decades, the beauty industry and media have held women in the grip of unattainable ideals, while men have been allowed to simply be. Now the rules of the game have changed radically: luxmaxing, when men use tools from the arsenal of biohacking, plastic surgery, and cosmetology in an effort to look their best, is taking over the world.
“I look bad for some reason. I need these, like them. Peptides,” says my friend, a brutal bearded man. For the past year, he has been counting calories in a special application, knows his own protein intake, diligently fulfills his 10,000-step daily norm and lifts iron in the gym at least three times a week. At the word “peptides”, I am surprised by inertia: “How did you know about them?” But I quickly scold myself for sexism: self-care is not a purely female privilege. In addition, we live in the era of male luxmaxing – a new epidemic that has swept the world.
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What is luxmaxing and why are men so willing to fall for it?
The term Stat Maxing comes from gaming and literally means “pumping a character to the highest possible level.” If you view your appearance as a set of stats that can be improved, it's easy to get caught up in this trap. From this mindset comes luxmaxing: the idea that appearance is just another “parameter” that can be optimized.
Moreover, luxmaxing is presented not as “cosmetics”, but as work on oneself, which resonates better with the traditional male psychology of self-improvement. Which does not prevent Instagram characters from making a career (and fortune) out of it.
What “characteristics” can be “pumped” in Luxmaxing?
Eye incision
The communities are discussing not only the shape of the eye, the depth of the setting and how to get rid of dark circles to make the look more rested and confident. Now the focus is on the location of the outer corners of the eye (Canthal Tilt). A “positive” tilt (corners directed slightly upwards) is considered the standard and provides the so-called hunter's look (Hunter Eyes). A “negative” tilt, when the corners are slightly lowered, indicates a tired look (Tired Eyes) and should push the owner to work on himself – exercises, taping or blepharoplasty. It's good that the young Sylvester Stallone did not know this.
And apparently, this was ignored by the creators of the #puppyeyeliner trend on TikTok, who point the tails of the arrows downward to achieve a puppy look.
Jawline, Meowing, and Bone Smashing
A clear jawline is the holy grail of male luxe. It should be massive, well-defined, almost accentuated.
Maxillofacial surgery and implants are good at achieving this, but users firmly believe in the power of “mewing” gymnastics and use chewing simulators – special rubber expanders for training chewing muscles.
“Meowing” is a technique named after orthodontist Dr. John Meow. In essence, it is an exercise in raising the tongue to the palate. You should press your tongue as tightly as possible, keeping your lips closed, and maintain this position as often as possible throughout the day. By the way, Ukrainian professor and chief orthodontist of the country Myroslava Drohomyretska recommends classical orthodontic gymnastics – it has a good effect on facial muscle tone and improves appearance.
And finally, there is always the option of natural contouring with a beard, which can disguise a weak chin or visually lengthen the face.
However, there are also dangerous pseudoscientific practices – for example, “Bone Smashing”, when luxmaxers hit their facial bones so that they supposedly become stronger and wider. Do not try to repeat this in real life.
Hair care, or Hairmaxing
Luxmaxers consider hair to be one of their most valuable assets. Therefore, to combat hair loss and stimulate hair growth on the head and beard, they use mesorollers together with serums, use vitamin complexes: based on biotin, zinc, etc., apply products with minoxidil, and also resort to hair transplantation.
Physical form, posture and V-shape
The V-shaped silhouette is in favor: the focus is on the shoulders and the latissimus dorsi muscles with a narrow waist. Much attention is paid to correcting “computer neck”, as a straight back instantly adds visual height and confidence.
Luxmaxing: How Men Found Themselves at the Epicenter of the Storm
The era of luxmaxing might never have come: from time immemorial, the object of close attention was exclusively female appearance. But then smartphones and online conferences appeared. Having fallen into the lenses of front-facing cameras and zooms, men got the chance to look at themselves meticulously for the first time.
Added to this are social media (and dating app) algorithms that have created a new standard of hypermasculinity: a perfectly defined jawline, low body fat, and muscular contours. This cannot be achieved without biohacking, complex nutrients, facial treatments and exercises, and tracking metrics.
What used to be a duty of actors and celebrities has turned into a daily concern for ordinary guys: “Does my beard have enough thickness?”, “Have my eyebrows thinned?”, “Do I look too tired?”
Thus, the phrase “beauty requires sacrifice” has gradually lost not only its starry but also its gendered connotation. Men have (“finally”) fallen into the trap that women have lived in for decades: “You are never perfect enough.” Now they have to live in a gym, understand dietary supplements, facial exercises, laser procedures and injectable cosmetology.
However, there is no need to be complacent – this is not “fair payback”, but simply business. If earlier men's grooming was limited to shower gel, deodorant and shaving foam, now the Men's Grooming market is one of the fastest growing. Let's see how things will develop.