{"id":1876020,"date":"2026-04-10T14:26:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T11:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1876020"},"modified":"2026-04-10T14:26:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T11:26:00","slug":"inside-looksmaxxings-black-market-beauty-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1876020","title":{"rendered":"Inside looksmaxxing\u2019s black-market beauty economy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-243-2026-1350\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443153.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/beauty\/article\/70064\/1\/clavicular-diy-hacks-mindset-looksmaxxxing-community-black-market-beauty\" data-article-id=\"70064\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.13\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DIY mindset of Looksmaxxxing\" class=\"img\" height=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443153.jpg\" width=\"2026\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">TikTok\/hyperiddaren<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-04-10T14:26:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - beauty\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\">Beauty<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty-feature\">Beauty Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\">Beauty<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty-feature\">Beauty Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Inside looksmaxxing\u2019s black-market <span class=\"nowrap\">beauty economy<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>Suspicious of established institutions and reluctant to be seen as participating in the \u2018feminine\u2019 consumption of beauty products, the men of the looksmaxxing community are turning to <span class=\"nowrap\">DIY hacks<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-10T14:26:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-10T14:26:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/BrynnValentine\">Brynn Valentine<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Step inside the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/looksmaxxing\">looksmaxxing manosphere<\/a> and you\u2019ll be inundated with tips and tricks on how to become more attractive. Whether you want to achieve a chiselled jawline or obtain \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/61336\/1\/going-prey-mode-girls-cute-animals-online-canthal-tilt-tiktok\">hunter eyes<\/a>\u201d, the majority of this advice comes in the form of at-home, DIY hacks. There\u2019s \u2018towel biting\u2019, which consists of chewing on a folded-up towel for approximately 15 minutes a day. Mewing, a tongue exercise used to improve the shape of the jaw. Facial exercises with names like \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cx28z4zypkno\"><span>Zygopush<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d and \u201cthe Hunter Squeeze\u201d aim to hollow out cheeks and make eyes more \u201cwolf-like\u201d in shape, respectively. And, of course, the infamous \u2018bone smashing\u2019, based on the idea that hitting one\u2019s face with a household hammer will make the bones grow back \u2018stronger\u2019 and thus more defined.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Even when it comes to the more invasive techniques (i.e. steroids, fat dissolvers and testosterone injections), looksmaxxers tend to opt for more untraditional, unregulated or anti-establishment approaches. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69974\/1\/debunking-claviculars-looksmaxxing-routine-bonesmashing-steroids-side-effects\"><span>Clavicular<\/span><\/a><span> has said he used <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/13\/style\/clavicular-looksmaxxing-braden-peters.html\"><span>meth in the past as an appetite suppressant<\/span><\/a><span>, alongside <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/62610\/1\/what-is-retatrutide-the-new-godzilla-weight-loss-injection\"><span>Retatrutide<\/span><\/a><span>, an experimental weight-loss drug not yet approved for use. He started ordering testosterone off the internet when he was 14 and shared <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@bradleymartyn\/video\/7584966444983602463\">during <\/a><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@bradleymartyn\/video\/7584966444983602463\"><span>an interview<\/span><\/a><span> that he has experimented with injecting dissolvable collagen threads into his penis for volume.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Manosphere influencers like Joe Rogan, meanwhile, claim the benefits of unregulated, experimental peptides (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/influencers-selling-peptides-tiktok-b2859168.html\"><span>Rogan credited BPC-157<\/span><\/a><span> with healing a case of elbow tendonitis in two weeks), with many <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/68487\/1\/so-you-want-to-try-diy-peptide-injections-how-to\"><span>people turning to grey or even black-market suppliers<\/span><\/a><span> to get their hands on them. While on sites such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/forum.looksmaxxing.com\/threads\/hidden-gem-for-tren.163773\/\"><span>Looksmxxing Forum<\/span><\/a><span>, members encourage one another to pose as trans teenagers to learn roundabout ways of obtaining hormones through off-market channels. \u201cStay woke and don\u2019t fall for scams, twin,\u201d is the sign-off of a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@emir555gun\/photo\/7597233267074419990\"><span>looksmaxxing video<\/span><\/a><span> that recommends, among other things, humming for 24 hours a day to improve the jawline.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7584966444983602463\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>So why are looksmaxxers so obsessed with off-market hacks? According to Steven Roberts, a sociology professor at Monash University, it\u2019s rooted in a desire to \u201csignal that improvement is earned, not bought, which aligns with [the neoliberal masculine] ideals of independence and self-reliance\u201d. Despite many of the manosphere values mirroring the language and models of the market economy, the community can often be very distrustful of the \u201cestablishment\u201d and professional institutions. \u201cIn the manosphere, there\u2019s sometimes a stated suspicion of commercial industries, [which] might even be situated as part of the exploitative or misleading <\/span><span>\u2018matrix\u2019<\/span><span>\u201d, says Professor Roberts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Just as masculine ideas around independence and self-reliance drive mistrust of the establishment, they also inform the reluctance of these men to see themselves as consumers. Their preference for DIY techniques stems in part from the perceived femininity of shopping and consumerism, particularly within the beauty industry. In her 1970s work, <\/span><em><span>The Sociology of Housework,<\/span><\/em><span> Ann Oakley argues that women\u2019s exclusion from the workforce limited avenues for identity formation, which made consumption one of the few available means of self-expression. Over time, this contributed to a cultural framing of shopping as both feminine and a site of manipulation \u2013 an activity aligned with passivity rather than control.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7486994481040870678\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>As traditional masculinity\u00a0defines itself in opposition to what it perceives as feminine, men seeking to embody it must distance themselves from practices culturally coded as feminine \u2013 and therefore \u201cvain\u201d and \u201cfrivolous\u201d \u2013 such as dependency on consumer goods and beauty work. Instead, looksmaxxing reframes aesthetic improvements through perceived hypermasculine terms: autonomous, resourceful, disciplined \u2013 even dangerous.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span>This is why beauty brands geared towards men often align themselves with war: take male make-up brand War Paint or wellness brand Bravo Sierra, which collaborates with the US military to develop and test its products. It&#8217;s also why these men feel more comfortable turning to alternative or DIY practices, despite there being no guarantee of success or safety. \u201cFollowing Clavicular\u2019s lead towards a ludicrous beauty standard is without a doubt dangerous for your health,\u201d as Dazed\u2019s Laura Pitcher concluded in a recent <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/64906\/1\/no-sympathy-for-the-beauty-addict\"><span>article<\/span><\/a><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The irony of this DIY obsession is that, as Professor Roberts says, \u201cmany of these [looksmaxxing] spaces reproduce similar commercial dynamics in different forms.\u201d That is, influencers profit from their audience&#8217;s insecurity and desire for self-betterment. In the end, when these DIY tricks offer little in the way of results, looksmaxxing content becomes just another lesson for young boys: the world cannot be trusted.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"article-footer\">\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<div class=\"article-series\">\n<h4 class=\"heading\">More on these topics<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-series\"><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\">Beauty<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty-feature\">Beauty Feature<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/body-image\">Body Image<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/looksmaxxing\">Looksmaxxing<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/incels\">incels<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<div class=\"grid\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp-text-container\">\n<h3 class=\"lava-lamp-subheading\">Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid section-header\">\n<div class=\"section-header__link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/70064\/1\/beauty\"><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"section-header__title\">READ MORE<\/h2>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid tag-article-list\">\n<div class=\"swiper swiper-latest\">\n<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/70055\/1\/ai-help-choose-your-next-tattoo-chatgpt-gemini-image-generation-artist\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"1411420\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-146-640-426\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443107.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Would you let AI help you choose your next tattoo?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/70042\/1\/why-are-musicians-so-hot-cameron-winter-franz-liszt-prince-gorgeous\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cameron Winter\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1024-681\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442984.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">\u2018It\u2019s the emotional IQ\u2019: Unpacking the unique hotness of musicians<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/70030\/1\/starface-lip-balm-product-of-the-week-magical-hydro-stars-recommendation\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"original-C187C805-D4A7-463B-A1AE-65EDD3C7DD69\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-299-1242-826\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442906.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Product of the week: Starface\u2019s \u2018magical, squeaky clean\u2019 lip balm<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/70022\/1\/photos-from-tattoo-assembly-club-x-church-of-england-london\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"TATTOO-ASSEMBLY-66\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-3000-1995\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442810.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Tattoo Assembly showcases the cutting edge of tattoo culture<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/70025\/1\/horoscopes-april-2026-new-moon-aries-taurus-season-uranus-gemini\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Horoscopes April 2026\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-2700-1796\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442862.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Horoscopes April 2026: A 7 year cycle has ended \u2013 so what\u2019s next?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69976\/1\/best-scents-perfumes-2026-destin-de-balmain-eris-parfum-dizziak\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Destin_de_Balmain_1_Credit_Balmain_Beauty\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/140-0-1624-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442787.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">The best new scents, from real strawberries to mother\u2019s breast milk<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/70006\/1\/pitkisser-captures-the-beauty-and-rage-of-las-girl-mosh-scene\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"9E8A6545\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-355-2399-1596\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442694.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">PITKISSER captures the beauty and rage of LA\u2019s girl mosh scene<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69998\/1\/conner-ives-x-mac-are-protecting-the-dolls\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"MAC_FY26_PTD_MACxConnerIves_Group_1842_Photographe\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-903-600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442614.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Conner Ives and MAC team up to protect the dolls <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/70001\/1\/who-is-looksmaxxing-really-for-incel-culture-beauty-standards-men-misogyny\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GettyImages-143282182\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1024-681\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442691.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Who is looksmaxxing really for?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69985\/1\/bds-movement-boycott-list-food-companies-palestine\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Columbia pro-Palestine encampment 2024\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-142-2151-1430\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1370\/4\/1374218.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">How the BDS movement has changed the way we eat<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69977\/1\/goop-horror-the-new-wave-of-literature-skewering-the-beauty-industry\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Body horror in The Substance\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1848-1229\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1390\/1\/1391609.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Goop horror: The new wave of literature skewering the beauty industry<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69974\/1\/debunking-claviculars-looksmaxxing-routine-bonesmashing-steroids-side-effects\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Clavicular\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/144-0-1624-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442385.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Doctors debunk Clavicular\u2019s beauty routine, step by step<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Step inside the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/looksmaxxing\">looksmaxxing manosphere<\/a> and you\u2019ll be inundated with tips and tricks on how to become more attractive. Whether you want to achieve a chiselled jawline or obtain \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/61336\/1\/going-prey-mode-girls-cute-animals-online-canthal-tilt-tiktok\">hunter eyes<\/a>\u201d, the majority of this advice comes in the form of at-home, DIY hacks. There\u2019s \u2018towel biting\u2019, which consists of chewing on a folded-up towel for approximately 15 minutes a day. Mewing, a tongue exercise used to improve the shape of the jaw. Facial exercises with names like \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cx28z4zypkno\"><span>Zygopush<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d and \u201cthe Hunter Squeeze\u201d aim to hollow out cheeks and make eyes more \u201cwolf-like\u201d in shape, respectively. And, of course, the infamous \u2018bone smashing\u2019, based on the idea that hitting one\u2019s face with a household hammer will make the bones grow back \u2018stronger\u2019 and thus more defined.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Even when it comes to the more invasive techniques (i.e. steroids, fat dissolvers and testosterone injections), looksmaxxers tend to opt for more untraditional, unregulated or anti-establishment approaches. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69974\/1\/debunking-claviculars-looksmaxxing-routine-bonesmashing-steroids-side-effects\"><span>Clavicular<\/span><\/a><span> has said he used <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/13\/style\/clavicular-looksmaxxing-braden-peters.html\"><span>meth in the past as an appetite suppressant<\/span><\/a><span>, alongside <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/62610\/1\/what-is-retatrutide-the-new-godzilla-weight-loss-injection\"><span>Retatrutide<\/span><\/a><span>, an experimental weight-loss drug not yet approved for use. He started ordering testosterone off the internet when he was 14 and shared <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@bradleymartyn\/video\/7584966444983602463\">during <\/a><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@bradleymartyn\/video\/7584966444983602463\"><span>an interview<\/span><\/a><span> that he has experimented with injecting dissolvable collagen threads into his penis for volume.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Manosphere influencers like Joe Rogan, meanwhile, claim the benefits of unregulated, experimental peptides (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/influencers-selling-peptides-tiktok-b2859168.html\"><span>Rogan credited BPC-157<\/span><\/a><span> with healing a case of elbow tendonitis in two weeks), with many <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/68487\/1\/so-you-want-to-try-diy-peptide-injections-how-to\"><span>people turning to grey or even black-market suppliers<\/span><\/a><span> to get their hands on them. While on sites such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/forum.looksmaxxing.com\/threads\/hidden-gem-for-tren.163773\/\"><span>Looksmxxing Forum<\/span><\/a><span>, members encourage one another to pose as trans teenagers to learn roundabout ways of obtaining hormones through off-market channels. \u201cStay woke and don\u2019t fall for scams, twin,\u201d is the sign-off of a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@emir555gun\/photo\/7597233267074419990\"><span>looksmaxxing video<\/span><\/a><span> that recommends, among other things, humming for 24 hours a day to improve the jawline.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7584966444983602463\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>So why are looksmaxxers so obsessed with off-market hacks? According to Steven Roberts, a sociology professor at Monash University, it\u2019s rooted in a desire to \u201csignal that improvement is earned, not bought, which aligns with [the neoliberal masculine] ideals of independence and self-reliance\u201d. Despite many of the manosphere values mirroring the language and models of the market economy, the community can often be very distrustful of the \u201cestablishment\u201d and professional institutions. \u201cIn the manosphere, there\u2019s sometimes a stated suspicion of commercial industries, [which] might even be situated as part of the exploitative or misleading <\/span><span>\u2018matrix\u2019<\/span><span>\u201d, says Professor Roberts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Just as masculine ideas around independence and self-reliance drive mistrust of the establishment, they also inform the reluctance of these men to see themselves as consumers. Their preference for DIY techniques stems in part from the perceived femininity of shopping and consumerism, particularly within the beauty industry. In her 1970s work, <\/span><em><span>The Sociology of Housework,<\/span><\/em><span> Ann Oakley argues that women\u2019s exclusion from the workforce limited avenues for identity formation, which made consumption one of the few available means of self-expression. Over time, this contributed to a cultural framing of shopping as both feminine and a site of manipulation \u2013 an activity aligned with passivity rather than control.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7486994481040870678\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>As traditional masculinity\u00a0defines itself in opposition to what it perceives as feminine, men seeking to embody it must distance themselves from practices culturally coded as feminine \u2013 and therefore \u201cvain\u201d and \u201cfrivolous\u201d \u2013 such as dependency on consumer goods and beauty work. Instead, looksmaxxing reframes aesthetic improvements through perceived hypermasculine terms: autonomous, resourceful, disciplined \u2013 even dangerous.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span>This is why beauty brands geared towards men often align themselves with war: take male make-up brand War Paint or wellness brand Bravo Sierra, which collaborates with the US military to develop and test its products. It&#8217;s also why these men feel more comfortable turning to alternative or DIY practices, despite there being no guarantee of success or safety. \u201cFollowing Clavicular\u2019s lead towards a ludicrous beauty standard is without a doubt dangerous for your health,\u201d as Dazed\u2019s Laura Pitcher concluded in a recent <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/64906\/1\/no-sympathy-for-the-beauty-addict\"><span>article<\/span><\/a><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The irony of this DIY obsession is that, as Professor Roberts says, \u201cmany of these [looksmaxxing] spaces reproduce similar commercial dynamics in different forms.\u201d That is, influencers profit from their audience&#8217;s insecurity and desire for self-betterment. In the end, when these DIY tricks offer little in the way of results, looksmaxxing content becomes just another lesson for young boys: the world cannot be trusted.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/70064\/1\/clavicular-diy-hacks-mindset-looksmaxxxing-community-black-market-beauty&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-243-2026-1350\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443153.jpg&#8221;] TikTok\/hyperiddaren April\u00a0 10,\u00a0 2026 Beauty \/ Beauty Feature Beauty \/ Beauty Feature Inside looksmaxxing\u2019s black-market beauty economy Suspicious of established institutions and reluctant to be seen as participating in the \u2018feminine\u2019 consumption of beauty products, the men of the looksmaxxing community are turning to DIY hacks April\u00a0 10,\u00a0 2026 April\u00a0 10,\u00a0 2026 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1876020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1876020"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876020\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1876020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1876020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1876020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}