"Looksmaxxing" is teaching men that pretty hurts.
By Brittany Luse, Corey Antonio Rose, Neena Pathak,
NPR
| 02. 27. 2026
Who gets to be "hot" in America? And, at what cost?
Some young men are pushing beauty boundaries with guidance from an online trend that's been making headlines: looksmaxxing. Looksmaxxing celebrates intense fitness & skincare routines, extreme body modification, and notably Eurocentric features as the holy grail of modern beauty, but who gets locked out of looksmaxxing when "Chad" is the gold standard? And how painful is it to pursue perfection that's skin deep?
Brittany is joined by Jason Parham, senior writer at WIRED covering internet culture, online dating, and the future of sex.
JASON PARHAM: I think there's still something really ugly on the inside that people are really working with or trying to confront. Oh, maybe I'll just put on a good face, and I won't have to deal with it. Maybe, you know, it'll get me all these other things.
BRITTANY LUSE, HOST:
Like anyone else, I like to look good. I paid a makeup artist to teach me how to blend my concealer. I apply my skin care in a specific order, and only one...
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