Eighteen-year-old college student Ayush Bijlwan dreamt of being a supermodel since childhood. He started working out at 15 so that he could have the perfect cheekbones, jawline and physique. “I would look at myself in the mirror 40 times daily,” says Bijlwan, who got drawn into online chatrooms on “looksmaxxing,” a trending advisory that helps young boys “maximise” their appearance and look like Greek gods to get social acceptance. Now he runs his own YouTube channel on such “self-improvement.”
The fad that became self-destructive
Fact is, it is just another obsessive psychological problem. While the term originated in 2015, looksmaxxing became popular in 2023 as a social media trend that encouraged users to achieve certain beauty standards through several routines. Young men were encouraged to get rid of facial fat, achieve ‘hunter eyes’ that should slant upwards, develop a sharp jawline at 120 degrees, a lean face with high cheekbones and plump lips.
Looksmaxxing may appear harmless, encouraging self-care, exercise and healthy eating. But then it degenerates into a body obsession so severe that teens get into steroid use, hair transplants, plastic surgery for removing ribs, a sculpted waist and lengthening limbs for extra height in extreme cases. Some resort to self-harm measures like ‘bone-smashing’ where they hit their jaws with blunt objects to re-shape them, assuming bones adapt to stresses.
A look at how looksmaxxing is harming youngsters. (Graphic by Angshuman Maity)
Why body-corrective surgery can be a risk?
Dr Ashwani Kumar Singh, plastic surgeon at Yatharth Hospitals, Noida, sees many young people with body image issues push themselves over the edge. “What they don’t understand is that lower-limb lengthening surgeries are meant for accident victims, have a risk of complications and require year-long healing. Arteries and veins can be stretched.”
Most plastic surgeons first resort to counselling or talk therapy before weaning boys away from cosmetic procedures. “I once had a 20-year-old student who thought he had a crooked nose. We informed him that no drastic changes would be made during the surgery. Unsatisfied, he came back every month asking for corrections. Another patient wanted surgery simply because his brother teased him about his nose.”
With celebrities and influencers normalising surgery as a way to look cool, young people are not willing to get comfortable with the looks they were born with. South Delhi cosmetic surgeon, Dr Anup Dhir, says there has been a 20 per cent increase in the demand for surgeries by youngsters in the 18-25 age bracket over the last 30 years. “A patient wanted a nose like Hrithik Roshan’s. We help correct real deformities, not perceived deformities. If their perception is far higher than reality, operating on such patients is not a risk worth taking.” That’s why Dr Dhir insists on a psychological examination before considering a request for cosmetic surgery.
Counselling only way out
“Most of the time the real issue is depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and body dysmorphia, where patients feel everything about their bodies is flawed. As a principle, we don’t perform on patients with mental illnesses because a cosmetic surgery could become counter-productive. Operating on such patients is dangerous because plastic surgeries can become addictive. In such cases, a person needs to consult a psychologist, not a plastic surgeon,” says Dr Dhir.
Dr Kamna Chibber, Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences at Fortis Healthcare, says young people are more vulnerable about their social appearance because they live in a visual world. “Youngsters should be encouraged to focus on developing their self-esteem and recognise their unique strengths instead of making comparisons. Parents should look for early signs or else their child could just gravitate towards self-harm,” she adds.
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