Most of us likely have days when we feel we're not looking our best.
Maybe our hair's a little wonky, or we look more tired than usual. Or perhaps there's a feature of our physical appearance that we've never quite made peace with.
But for some young men who participate in an online community called "looksmaxxing," those self-critiques can become excessive. And the criticism they receive from other members — and their suggested remedies, which can include self-injury and surgery — are even more extreme.
Looksmaxxing is, on the surface, about trying to look your best in order to attract a partner. But a new study from Dalhousie University says while the community is framed as self-help, it can be harmful to participants.
"It is really caustic to the self-esteem of men and boys," says Michael Halpin, a professor of sociology at Dalhousie and the lead author of the study, which was published in the journal Sociology of Health and Wellness in February.
"They're … saying terrible things.… 'Your body is disgusting.' 'No one will ever love you.' 'You'll never get a job.' 'You're going to be a failure unless you do some serious looksmaxxing practices.'"
While there are several sites devoted to looksmaxxing, Halpin's study examined the most popular message board by analyzing more than 8,000 comments on two of its main discussion boards in 2023. CBC News is not naming the site in order to limit participation fr...
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