The looksmaxxing community is full of contradictions. For every legit piece of advice that can genuinely improve your appearance, there’s a myth that wastes your time or worse, actively holds you back. Some of these myths come from broscience, others from misinterpreted studies, and plenty from people who never actually got results themselves.
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After 9 years covering men’s aesthetics and watching thousands of transformations, I’ve seen which strategies work and which ones keep guys spinning their wheels. Let’s cut through the noise and address the most common looksmaxxing myths debunked so you can focus on what actually moves the needle.
Mewing Will Completely Restructure Your Face
Mewing is probably the most controversial topic in looksmaxxing circles. The basic premise, proper tongue posture against the roof of your mouth, has some validity. What doesn’t hold up is the claim that it’ll dramatically restructure your entire facial skeleton if you’re past puberty.
The reality: Proper tongue posture can prevent facial recession and may provide subtle improvements in facial structure over years, particularly in the submental area. A 2014 study in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation found that tongue position does influence craniofacial development, but the most significant changes occur during developmental years.
If you’re 20+ and expecting mewing to give you a completely different face in 6 months, you’re wasting mental energy. The subtle benefits (better jaw definition from reduced submental fat, potential minor forward growth) take years and are nowhere near as dramatic as transformation photos suggest.
What actually works: Focus on body fat percentage first. Losing facial fat correctly will reveal your bone structure better than any amount of tongue posture. Combine that with proper oral posture for maintenance, not miracles.
You Need Crazy Low Body Fat for Hollow Cheeks
The hollow cheek obsession has guys cutting to unsustainable body fat percentages thinking it’s the only way to achieve that aesthetic. This myth causes more harm than almost any other in the looksmaxxing space.
The truth: Hollow cheeks depend more on bone structure (zygomatic arch width, maxilla position) and buccal fat pad size than your body fat percentage. Some guys have prominent cheekbones and defined faces at 15% body fat. Others won’t get that look even at 8%.
Research published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal shows that buccal fat pad volume varies significantly between individuals and isn’t directly proportional to overall body fat. Genetics determine buccal fat distribution more than your diet does.
Pushing for extremely low body fat ruins your hormones, tanks your energy, makes you look gaunt instead of aesthetic, and kills your social life. Plus, according to a 2013 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, body fat below 8-10% in men significantly reduces testosterone production.
Better approach: Get to a healthy 10-15% body fat range and assess your natural structure. If you want more definition, check out strategies that work without starving yourself. Focus on foods that reduce facial bloating rather than extreme deficits.
Bone Smashing and Facial Exercises Build Facial Bone
This one’s dangerous. The theory goes that repeatedly striking your face or doing resistance exercises will trigger bone remodeling similar to Wolff’s Law in weight training.
The science: Wolff’s Law states that bone adapts to mechanical stress, which is true for load-bearing bones under controlled progressive overload. Facial bones don’t respond the same way. A 2018 review in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery found no evidence that external mechanical stress applied to facial bones causes beneficial remodeling in adults.
What you’re more likely to get is inflammation, nerve damage, asymmetry from uneven pressure, or just bruising. The “results” people show are typically just inflammation and swelling being mistaken for bone growth.
Actual evidence-based alternatives: Proper nutrition (adequate vitamin D3, K2, calcium, and magnesium) supports bone health. Increasing overall muscle mass through compound lifting raises testosterone, which has downstream effects on facial structure and fat distribution. That’s as close as you’ll get without surgery.
Chewing Gum Builds a Massive Jawline
The jawline obsession led to the gum-chewing trend, with guys chomping on multiple pieces of hard gum for hours daily. Some even buy specialized “jawline chewing gum” marketed specifically for this purpose.
What happens: Chewing does activate the masseter muscles (the main chewing muscles). With consistent training, these can hypertrophy slightly. A 2017 study in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation confirmed that masseter muscle size can increase with repetitive chewing.
The problem: Overdevelopment of masseters often looks unnatural and can make your face appear more square in an unflattering way. You’re also risking TMJ issues, tooth wear, and jaw pain. The American Dental Association warns that excessive gum chewing can lead to temporomandibular joint disorders.
The jawline definition you’re actually after comes from three factors: low body fat revealing the bone structure, the actual bone structure itself (largely genetic), and neck development that creates contrast. Chewing gum addresses none of these optimally.
Better strategy: Progressive resistance training that includes neck work, maintaining a lean body fat percentage, and if you’re serious about jaw enhancement, consult with a maxillofacial surgeon about actual options rather than chewing gum until your jaw clicks.
Skincare Is Just for Women or Won’t Make a Real Difference
The opposite extreme exists too. Guys who dismiss skincare entirely, thinking it’s superficial or won’t impact their appearance significantly. This looksmaxxing myth debunked is crucial because skincare is one of the highest ROI investments you can make.
The evidence: A 2019 study published in Evolution and Human Behavior found that skin texture and tone significantly impact perceived attractiveness and age, sometimes more than facial structure. Clear, even-toned skin with minimal texture issues objectively improves how others perceive you.
Sun damage, acne scarring, uneven pigmentation, and poor skin texture actively lower your attractiveness. These are all addressable with consistent skincare. The guys who say “skincare doesn’t matter” usually have decent skin genetics and don’t realize they’re starting ahead.
The right approach: You don’t need a 12-step Korean routine, but you need the basics. A proper cleanser, broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen daily, and tretinoin if you’re serious about anti-aging and skin texture. Start with proven looksmaxxing skincare products that have actual clinical evidence behind them.
Softmaxxing Is Cope and Only Surgery Matters
This toxic myth pushes the idea that if you can’t afford or won’t get surgery, you might as well not try. It’s defeatist and ignores the massive improvements possible without going under the knife.
Reality check: Softmaxxing (non-surgical improvements) can take most guys from average to significantly above average. We’re talking body composition changes, style upgrades, skincare, hair optimization, and overall presentation. A 2015 meta-analysis in Body Image journal found that body composition, grooming, and style account for substantial variance in attractiveness ratings.
Surgery has its place for correcting specific issues (rhinoplasty for a severely deviated septum affecting breathing and aesthetics, otoplasty for protruding ears), but it’s not the only path forward. Most guys haven’t even optimized the basics before considering surgery.
The “just get surgery” crowd often skips the foundational work that would amplify surgical results anyway. Surgeons consistently note that patients in better physical condition with optimized health markers get better results and heal faster.
The strategy: Maximize softmaxxing first. Get to your genetic potential through training, dial in nutrition, optimize hormone levels naturally, fix your style and grooming. Then, if specific features still bother you after you’ve built that foundation, surgical consultation makes sense. Effective softmaxxing strategies can transform your appearance without a scalpel.
Supplements Are Magic Pills for Aesthetics
The supplement industry preys on looksmaxxing communities hard. Collagen peptides for skin, specialized blends for hair growth, peptides for fat loss and muscle gain, the list is endless.
The nuanced truth: Most supplements provide minimal benefits if your diet and lifestyle aren’t already optimized. A 2021 systematic review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that supplementation shows modest effects at best when basic nutrition is inadequate, and negligible effects when it’s already sufficient.
That said, some supplements do have evidence for specific applications. Vitamin D3 supplementation matters if you’re deficient (most people are). Creatine monohydrate has strong evidence for muscle performance and possibly cognitive function. Finasteride and minoxidil have solid evidence for hair loss prevention.
What doesn’t work: Most proprietary blends with “secret formulas,” extremely expensive peptides with minimal human research, and anything marketed with before/after photos that look suspiciously like lighting and pump changes.
The approach: Get bloodwork done first. Address actual deficiencies. Use supplements with strong clinical evidence for specific goals. Don’t expect them to carry your results. Focus on supplements that actually move the needle rather than throwing money at everything marketed to the community.
You Can Target Face Fat Loss
Spot reduction for fat loss doesn’t exist anywhere on your body, including your face. You can’t do facial exercises or use special creams to burn fat from your cheeks while keeping it elsewhere.
The mechanism: Fat loss occurs systemically based on your genetics, hormones, and overall caloric deficit. Where you lose fat first and last is predetermined by your fat distribution pattern. A comprehensive 2013 review in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research confirmed that spot reduction has no scientific support.
Some guys lose facial fat early in a cut. Others hold onto it until they’re very lean. You can’t control the order, only the overall process.
What you can control: Overall body fat percentage through nutrition and training, reducing inflammation and water retention that cause facial bloating (often mistaken for fat), and optimizing sleep and stress management since cortisol affects facial fat distribution.
Salt intake, alcohol consumption, and processed food all increase facial bloating significantly. The “face gains” you see in transformation photos are often 50% actual fat loss and 50% reduced inflammation and water retention.
Collagen Supplements Significantly Improve Skin
Collagen supplements became huge in the looksmaxxing community, with claims about improved skin elasticity, reduced wrinkles, and better overall skin quality.
The research: Studies on collagen supplementation show mixed results. A 2019 review in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found that some studies showed modest improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, but many were industry-funded with small sample sizes.
The theory is that ingested collagen peptides get absorbed and stimulate your body’s collagen production. The problem is that dietary protein gets broken down into amino acids, which your body then uses however it needs. There’s no guarantee those specific amino acids rebuild as facial collagen.
Better alternatives: Topical tretinoin has strong evidence for increasing collagen production in skin. Adequate protein intake overall (not necessarily from collagen) gives your body building blocks. Sun protection prevents collagen breakdown, which is more important than trying to increase production. Vitamin C supplementation supports collagen synthesis if you’re deficient.
If you want to try collagen supplements, keep expectations realistic. Don’t skip the proven interventions (tretinoin, sunscreen, adequate protein) in favor of expensive collagen powders.
Testosterone Optimization Is Overrated or Doesn’t Impact Appearance
Some guys dismiss hormones entirely, thinking they don’t matter for aesthetics. Others obsess over tiny optimizations that won’t move the needle. Both extremes miss the mark.
The facts: Testosterone significantly impacts muscle mass, fat distribution (including facial fat), bone density, skin quality, and overall vitality. A 2017 study in the European Journal of Endocrinology demonstrated clear correlations between testosterone levels and body composition markers.
Low testosterone absolutely hurts your appearance and looksmaxxing progress. Guys with clinically low T build muscle slower, hold more facial and body fat, have worse skin quality, and often look tired and older.
The myth: That you need to micromanage every aspect to squeeze out an extra 50 ng/dL. The obsession with niche supplements, specific foods, and minor lifestyle tweaks to raise testosterone by tiny amounts distracts from the bigger picture.
What actually matters: Getting adequate sleep (7-9 hours), training with progressive overload (particularly compound movements), maintaining a healthy body fat percentage (not too high or too low), sufficient dietary fat and cholesterol, vitamin D3 adequacy, and managing chronic stress.
If you’ve optimized these and still have symptoms of low T, get bloodwork and consult with an endocrinologist or men’s health specialist. Don’t self-diagnose or self-prescribe based on forum advice.
Style and Grooming Are Minor Details
Some guys obsess over bone structure and ignore that they dress terribly, have a bad haircut, and neglect basic grooming. They think these are minor details compared to “real” looksmaxxing.
The impact: Research consistently shows that style, grooming, and overall presentation significantly affect attractiveness ratings. A 2018 study in the journal Personality and Individual Differences found that clothing and grooming choices substantially impacted perceived attractiveness, sometimes as much as facial features.
You could have great facial aesthetics and a solid physique, but if you’re wearing ill-fitting clothes and have an unflattering haircut, you’re leaving massive gains on the table. Conversely, an average guy with dialed-in style and grooming punches above his weight.
The strategy: Once you’ve established a training routine and basic nutrition, invest time in learning style fundamentals. Understanding what works for your body type isn’t superficial; it’s strategic. Get a haircut from someone who knows what they’re doing, not a $15 chain salon.
These “details” are often the difference between looking put-together and looking like you don’t care. That perception matters in every social and professional context.
Genetics Are Either Everything or Nothing
The two extremes both miss the point. One camp claims genetics determine everything and effort is pointless. The other pretends genetics don’t matter and anyone can look like a model with enough dedication.
The balanced view: Genetics set your ceiling and baseline, but most guys are nowhere near their genetic potential. Your bone structure, height, coloring, and baseline fat distribution patterns are genetic. Where you are relative to your potential is mostly lifestyle.
A 2016 twin study published in Nature Genetics found that while genetics significantly influence physical traits, environmental factors (diet, exercise, lifestyle) explain substantial variance in how those genetic potentials express.
You can’t change your skull shape without surgery, but you can optimize everything built on top of that foundation. That includes muscle mass, body fat percentage, skin quality, hair health, and overall presentation. For most guys, that’s a massive transformation even within genetic constraints.
The practical approach: Acknowledge your starting point without making it an excuse. Maximize what’s in your control before obsessing over what isn’t. Focus on raising your SMV through controllable factors rather than fixating on immutable traits.
You Can Looksmax Effectively in Just a Few Months
The “3-month transformation” marketing creates unrealistic expectations. Guys expect to go from average to significantly above average in a single summer or winter arc.
Realistic timeline: Real aesthetic transformation takes 1-2 years minimum. Building appreciable muscle mass takes time. Cutting fat while preserving muscle takes time. Skin improvements from tretinoin take months to become noticeable. Hair regrowth protocols take 6-12 months to show results.
The guys showing dramatic 3-month transformations either had great genetics that just needed some polish, used lighting and angles expertly, or weren’t actually starting from baseline (maybe they’d trained before and were regaining lost muscle).
The advantage of understanding this: You’ll make better decisions with a long-term view. You won’t crash diet and lose muscle. You won’t expect immediate results and give up. You’ll build sustainable habits instead of doing extreme things you can’t maintain.
Looksmaxxing is a marathon, not a sprint. The guys who actually transform their appearance treat it as an ongoing lifestyle, not a 90-day project. Build systems that work for years, not weeks.
The Path Forward Without the BS
These looksmaxxing myths debunked should clarify where to focus your energy. The common thread is that real improvement comes from consistent application of proven strategies, not from shortcuts, broscience, or extreme measures.
Focus on the fundamentals that have actual evidence behind them. Progressive resistance training with proper programming. Sustainable nutrition that gets you lean without tanking your hormones. Evidence-based skincare that addresses your specific concerns. Style and grooming that’s appropriate for your life and body. Sleep, stress management, and basic health optimization.
Skip the bone-