Exploring the online communities where the pursuit of the perfect aesthetic has become a dangerous obsession
Model and social media influencer Aaron Roberts, recalled when his friend started experimenting with peptides – synthetic compounds that were once exclusively used in medical research but now have fallen into the hands of anyone with internet access and a motive.
“Once he had a bit of money, he started really focusing on his looks.”
“After a month of using peptides, he started getting cramps in his lower stomach and became really ill for 2/3 days and had to go hospital.”
Once he recovered, “Funnily enough he still carried on with peptides – he just then found a different dealer.”
This is looksmaxxing: the incessant pursuit of improving one’s looks, commonly referred to as ‘ascension’. This story of Aaron’s friend is a common one, whereby any consequences are deemed acceptable – so long as the goal of peak attractiveness is reached.
Since the dawn of social media, self-improvement has been a popular topic among influencers and consumers alike.
Looksmaxxing, however, is a growing trend that has evolved from a niche internet subculture into a term that most people on social media are familiar with.
It would be easy to dismiss this trend as solely existing on the internet, but the virality of looksmaxxing posts and the increasing flow of money to peptide manufacturers and cosmetic surgeons would suggest it has grown massively.
On a scale varying from shoe lifts to limb-lengthening surgery, there is a clear spectrum. Aaron said: “I think there’s a fine line with looksmaxxing, in the sense that looksmaxxing as a term and as a whole is a very broad spectrum.”
“If you were to do teeth-whitening strips, that counts as looksmaxxing because you’re trying to make yourself look better with whiter teeth.”
“I’ve done teeth-whitening strips and I do take care of myself, I do my eyebrows and make sure that I get a tan to make myself look better.”
But Aaron is hesitant about going to further extremes.
“I won’t personally ever do peptides. The risk to reward for me isn’t that high.”
“That could definitely change in the future as I get older, I might become insecure about my looks as I might put on weight.”
“But for now, I don’t see the reward being worth it for the risk of being ill as I put health as a priority.”
“However, for some people, especially in the modelling industry, I know a lot of people that go to extremes to make sure they look really good and that their body fat is really low.”
Peptides once solely belonged to medical environments, but overseas suppliers have allowed greater accessibility to the compounds – therefore misuse has increased.
The nature of these overseas manufacturers means that they are created under much more lenient legislation and regulation, often leading to a worse quality or improper product and, ultimately, side effects like Aaron’s friend experienced.
However, peptides can also be used responsibly and effectively. GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drugs like Mounjaro and Ozempic are used by a rapidly growing number of people in the UK and the US. Over 1.6 million Brits used these peptides in 2024-2025, whilst over 15 million people in the US hold an active prescription.
The issue occurs when these compounds are used outside of medical supervision and regulation. Although, some participants remain critical of this narrative.
Omar, a current user of seven different peptides, from Florida, claimed: “We all chip in for testing of these compounds to ensure quality control and safe and sterile practices.”
“Do I fear these [compounds] might get misused or in the hands of ignorant kids? Absolutely. Many kids I see already taking retatrutide or GLP-1s for small amounts of body fat because they are insecure or someone told them they needed to.”
“Some other stigmas or fears might be that it’s not FDA approved or that it comes from China. At the end of the day, half of the stuff we take daily isn’t FDA approved – and some of the stuff that is, shouldn’t be.”
“We can all die tomorrow, why not give a little extra boost to help enjoy today if we could?”
One of the other controversial practices that looksmaxxers specifically may participate in is “bonesmashing”.
This method features participants taking a hammer to their face, hitting it repeatedly, under the theory that the trauma will help to harden the bones in the jawline, giving a sharper look.
It is a debunkable pseudoscience with no scientific basis. But that is perhaps the essence of a lot of the looksmaxxing methodology.
Arguably the most extreme method to ‘ascend’ is limb-lengthening surgery. This is where metallic rods are inserted within the bones of the legs and a magnet, within the rod, slowly stretches the leg, leading to the patient gaining a few inches of height.
The pain from this surgery has been described as someone “trying to rip my skin apart” by a patient, theorised to be due to the stretching of nerves in the leg.
Costing tens of thousands of pounds and requiring a six-month recovery, it is not an easily undertaken procedure and yet, more young people are getting it done each year.
The looksmaxxing movement is continuing to expand, whilst the threat it poses to its own users grows with it.