Glossary
Looksmaxxing Glossary: Every Maxxing Term Explained
The complete looksmaxxing glossary: softmaxxing, mewing, canthal tilt, hunter eyes, PSL, mogging, skinmaxxing, gymmaxxing and every other -maxxing term, defined plainly.
Key takeaways
- "Maxxing" means maximizing one area of yourself; looksmaxxing is the umbrella term for improving your appearance.
- Softmaxxing is non-invasive (skin, hair, grooming, body, style); hardmaxxing is surgical or medical.
- Bonesmashing is dangerous and does not reshape bone — it is not part of any credible looksmaxxing routine.
This glossary defines the vocabulary of looksmaxxing in plain English: 71 terms covering the whole -maxxing family, the facial measurements people argue about (canthal tilt, gonial angle, FWHR, facial thirds), the rating slang (PSL, HTN, mogging) and the methods, from evidence-backed skincare to dangerous trends like bonesmashing. Each entry opens with a one-sentence definition, then adds the nuance and safety notes the forums tend to skip.
If you are new to the topic, start with what looksmax means and what looksmaxxing involves, then come back here whenever a term stops you.
A
Ascensionalso: ascend, ascended, ascending
Ascension is looksmaxxing slang for a clear, visible jump in attractiveness after a period of self-improvement, as in "he ascended after losing the weight."
The ascensions that actually happen almost always come from fat loss, a better haircut, clearer skin and grooming, not from extreme methods.
Auramaxxingalso: aura, aura points
Auramaxxing means cultivating presence and the impression you leave on people through composure, confidence, body language and style rather than facial features.
Mostly a playful TikTok-era term, but the idea underneath is sound: how you carry yourself changes how your face is read.
Averageness
Averageness is the finding that faces close to a population's average proportions tend to be rated as more attractive than faces with unusual proportions.
Along with symmetry, skin clarity and sexual dimorphism cues, it is one of the most consistently replicated findings in facial attractiveness research.
B
Blackpillalso: black pill, blackpilled
The blackpill is a fatalistic online ideology holding that looks are fixed by genetics and decide a person's romantic and social fate, so self-improvement is pointless.
It is not looksmaxxing advice and contradicts the premise of looksmaxxing, which is that real, controllable changes matter. If that mindset is weighing on you, talking to someone you trust or a professional helps more than another forum thread.
Bonesmashingalso: bone smashing
Bonesmashing is the dangerous practice of striking facial bones with a hard object in the hope they remodel larger; it does not work and can cause fractures and nerve damage.
There is no evidence it builds bone in any useful way. It risks fractures, nerve injury, asymmetry and permanent scarring. Never do it. Changes to bone structure are a medical matter for a qualified surgeon or orthodontist.
Brow ridgealso: supraorbital ridge, browridge
The brow ridge is the bony ridge above the eye sockets; a more prominent one casts shadow over the eyes and reads as a masculine, sexually dimorphic trait.
You cannot change the bone without surgery, but eyebrow grooming and lower body fat change how defined the area looks.
Buccal fatalso: buccal fat pad, buccal fat removal
Buccal fat is a pad of fat in the lower cheek; less of it makes cheekbones and the hollow beneath them look more defined.
Surgical buccal fat removal is permanent and can age a face as it naturally loses volume over time. Overall fat loss is the reversible first step; anything surgical is a conversation with a board-certified surgeon.
C
Canthal tiltalso: eye tilt, positive canthal tilt, negative canthal tilt
Canthal tilt is the angle of the line from the inner to the outer corner of the eye; positive means the outer corner sits higher than the inner corner.
A neutral to slightly positive tilt is the forum ideal and is often associated with alert, youthful-looking eyes. It is largely set by bone and soft tissue, but sleep, under-eye care and brow grooming affect how the area reads. Looks Max scores it as its own metric.
Chad
Chad is internet slang for a man perceived as conventionally very attractive and confident, roughly the top tier of a looks scale.
It is a meme archetype, not a measurement. Most people on any real rating scale sit in the middle.
Chadlitealso: chad lite, chad-lite
Chadlite is forum slang for someone just below the "Chad" tier: clearly above average and attractive, but not at the very top.
Copealso: coping, copium
Cope is slang for a comforting belief or method people cling to even though it probably will not work, as in "that's cope."
Used fairly, it is a useful reality check. Used reflexively, it gets thrown at things that do work, like fat loss or a better haircut.
D
Debloatingalso: debloat, face bloat
Debloating means reducing facial puffiness from water retention, usually by cutting excess sodium and alcohol, sleeping enough, drinking water and limiting late heavy meals.
Morning puffiness is normal and temporary. Avoid diuretics or water cutting for appearance; those carry real health risks.
Dermarollingalso: dermaroller, microneedling, derma stamp
Dermarolling is rolling a device with tiny needles over the skin to trigger repair; in-office microneedling is used for acne scars and texture.
Clinical microneedling is done by a dermatologist with sterile, deeper needles. At-home rollers carry infection and irritation risk; never use them on active acne, and ask a dermatologist before starting.
E
Eyebrowmaxxingalso: browmaxxing, eyebrow grooming
Eyebrowmaxxing is shaping and grooming your eyebrows, usually cleaning up stray hairs and the gap between them, to frame the eyes and strengthen the brow line.
For most men this means light tidying, not thin, arched brows. Thick, straight, low-set brows read as more masculine.
F
Facial harmonyalso: harmony
Facial harmony is how well your features fit together as a whole, which often matters more to attractiveness than any single feature scored in isolation.
It is why a face with one "imperfect" feature can still read as very attractive, and why Looks Max scores hair-face harmony separately.
Facial thirdsalso: thirds, vertical thirds
Facial thirds split the face vertically into hairline to brow, brow to nose base, and nose base to chin; roughly equal thirds are the classical ideal.
A long lower third is common and often softened with a beard or a fuller hairstyle on top. A haircut can visibly rebalance the upper third.
Fitmaxxingalso: fit maxxing
Fitmaxxing is improving overall fitness, strength and body composition to look and feel better; it overlaps heavily with gymmaxxing and leanmaxxing.
Forward growthalso: forward facial growth, FG
Forward growth is a forum term for a face whose upper and lower jaws sit well forward, giving strong cheekbone and chin projection in profile.
In adults it is set by bone. Claims that mewing or chewing can meaningfully move adult jaws forward are not supported by good evidence.
Framealso: body frame, clavicle width
Frame refers to your skeletal build, especially shoulder and clavicle width relative to waist and head size, which sets your body's silhouette.
Bone width is fixed in adults, but training shoulders, upper back and neck and losing waist fat change the visible ratio significantly.
Fraudmaxxingalso: fraud maxxing
Fraudmaxxing is using temporary tricks such as lifts, makeup, angles, lighting and filters to look better than you do in person.
Good lighting and grooming are fair game; the term usually points at the gap between the photo and real life.
FWHRalso: facial width-to-height ratio, fWHR
FWHR, facial width-to-height ratio, is cheekbone-to-cheekbone width divided by the distance from the brow to the upper lip.
Research has linked higher FWHR to perceptions of dominance, but findings are mixed and it is not a reliable attractiveness score on its own.
G
Gigachadalso: giga chad
Gigachad is an internet meme for an exaggerated, idealized masculine man, used jokingly to describe someone extremely good-looking or confident.
A meme, not a standard. Comparing yourself to edited meme images is a fast route to feeling bad for no reason.
Glow upalso: glow-up, glowup, glowing up
A glow up is a noticeable improvement in someone's appearance and confidence over time, usually from better skin, hair, fitness, grooming and style.
It is the everyday word for what looksmaxxing aims at. Most glow ups take months, not weeks, which is why progress photos under the same conditions help.
Golden ratioalso: phi, 1.618, golden ratio face
The golden ratio (about 1.618) is often claimed to define the perfect face, but evidence that faces built on it look more attractive is weak.
Treat golden-ratio face calculators as entertainment. Symmetry, averageness, skin quality and sexual dimorphism cues have far stronger research support.
Gonial anglealso: jaw angle, mandibular angle
The gonial angle is the angle at the back corner of the jaw, where the vertical ramus meets the lower border of the mandible.
A more acute, well-defined angle reads as a sharper jawline. The bone is fixed in adults, but lower body fat and a lean neck make the existing angle far more visible.
Gymmaxxingalso: gym maxxing, gymcelling
Gymmaxxing is resistance training to improve your physique, especially shoulders, back and neck, and to lower body fat, which also sharpens the face.
Train naturally. Steroids and SARMs carry serious health risks and are not part of healthy looksmaxxing.
H
Hairmaxxingalso: hair maxxing
Hairmaxxing is getting the most from your hair: a cut that suits your face shape, healthy scalp and hair care, and dealing early with any hair loss.
A good haircut is one of the fastest visible upgrades there is. For thinning, see a dermatologist early rather than self-medicating.
Halo effect
The halo effect is the well-documented bias where people who look attractive are also assumed to have other good traits, such as competence or kindness.
It is the main reason appearance gets so much attention, and also why grooming and presentation, which are fully in your control, pay off.
Hardmaxxingalso: hard maxxing, hardmaxx
Hardmaxxing is improving appearance through permanent medical or surgical interventions, such as orthodontics, jaw surgery, implants or rhinoplasty.
It carries real cost, recovery and risk, and belongs only with qualified, board-certified professionals after softmaxxing is exhausted. Not for teenagers whose faces are still developing.
Heightmaxxingalso: height maxxing, heightmaxx
Heightmaxxing is trying to look or become taller; for adults that realistically means posture, proportion-aware clothing and footwear, since growth plates have closed.
Limb-lengthening surgery is major surgery with long recovery and serious risk of complications. Teens worried about growth should see a doctor and focus on sleep and nutrition, never on hormones or supplements sold online.
Hoodingalso: hooded eyes, upper eyelid exposure, eyelid exposure
Hooding is how much the brow and upper-lid tissue cover the eyelid; low upper-eyelid exposure is a key feature of so-called hunter eyes.
Heavy hooding that blocks vision or worsens with age is a medical question for an eye or oculoplastic specialist.
HTNalso: high-tier normie, LTN, MTN
HTN, high-tier normie, is forum slang for someone noticeably above average in looks, ranking above MTN (mid-tier) and LTN (low-tier normie).
Hunter eyesalso: hunter eye, hooded hunter eyes
Hunter eyes are deep-set, almond-shaped eyes with a neutral or positive canthal tilt and little visible upper eyelid, often considered a masculine, intense look.
Mostly genetic. Sleep, under-eye care, lower body fat and well-groomed brows improve how any eye area reads; exercises claiming to create hunter eyes do not.
I
IPDalso: interpupillary distance, eye spacing
IPD, interpupillary distance, is the distance between the centers of your pupils; forums compare it with face width and midface height.
It is set by bone. Glasses frames sized to your IPD and face width are the practical lever.
It's overalso: it's so over, we're so back, so back
"It's over" is ironic slang for feeling a situation is hopeless; "we're so back" is its opposite, said when things suddenly look good again.
Usually a joke about swinging moods after a bad photo or a good haircut, rather than a literal statement.
J
Jawmaxxingalso: jaw maxxing, jawline maxxing
Jawmaxxing is improving the look of your jawline, mainly by lowering body fat, improving posture, grooming a beard to the jaw and good neck definition.
Chewing hard gum and mewing are popular but have limited evidence in adults. Bonesmashing is dangerous and does not work.
L
Leanmaxxingalso: lean maxxing, getting lean
Leanmaxxing is reducing body fat to a healthy, lean level, which is one of the most reliable ways to sharpen the jawline, cheekbones and eye area.
Lose fat at a sustainable pace with enough protein and sleep. Crash dieting costs muscle, skin quality and energy.
Lookism
Lookism is discrimination or preferential treatment based on physical appearance, in work, dating and everyday social life.
The halo effect is the psychology behind it.
Looksmatchalso: looks match, looksmatching
A looksmatch is a partner of similar attractiveness; the word reflects the observed tendency of couples to be roughly matched in looks.
Looksmaxalso: looks max, looksmaxx, looksmaxing
To looksmax is to deliberately improve your appearance to its best version; Looks Max is also the name of an AI looksmaxxing app for iOS and Android.
Used as a verb ("how to looksmax") and a noun ("my looksmax plan"). The practice is looksmaxxing; the app is named after it.
Looksmaxxingalso: looksmaxing, looks maxxing, looks maxing
Looksmaxxing is the practice of systematically improving your physical appearance, such as skin, hair, body, grooming and style, to look your best.
It splits into softmaxxing (non-invasive habits) and hardmaxxing (medical or surgical). The measured approach is: rate where you are, fix the weakest feature, re-measure.
M
Mandiblealso: lower jaw, jawbone
The mandible is the lower jawbone; its width, angle and chin projection shape the jawline that looksmaxxing discussions focus on so heavily.
Mastic gumalso: chewing, jawline gum, hard gum, chewmaxxing
Mastic gum is a hard resin gum chewed to work the jaw muscles in the hope of a more defined jawline.
Evidence it visibly changes the jawline is limited. Overdoing it can strain the jaw joint (TMJ); stop if you get jaw pain or clicking.
Maxillaalso: upper jaw
The maxilla is the upper jawbone that supports the cheeks, nose base and upper teeth; forums credit good maxillary projection for a strong midface.
Changes to the adult maxilla require orthodontic or surgical treatment; no exercise moves it meaningfully.
Maxxingalso: -maxxing, maxing, maxx
Maxxing is a suffix meaning maximizing something; attached to a word, as in skinmaxxing or sleepmaxxing, it means deliberately optimizing that area.
It started with looksmaxxing and spread into general slang. The double x is just the spelling convention.
Mewingalso: mew, tongue posture, hard mewing
Mewing is resting your whole tongue flat against the roof of your mouth with lips closed and teeth lightly touching, as a habit of correct oral posture.
It is named after British orthodontist Mike Mew. Good tongue posture is harmless, but there is no solid evidence that mewing reshapes an adult jaw. Forceful "hard mewing" is not recommended.
Midface ratioalso: midface, compact midface
Midface ratio is a forum metric comparing the distance between the pupils with the distance from the pupils down to the mouth; a compact midface is prized.
It is a community heuristic rather than a clinical standard, and it is set by bone.
Minoxidilalso: minox, beardmaxxing with minoxidil
Minoxidil is a medication used to treat some types of hair loss, and is sometimes used off-label for beard growth.
It has side effects and results usually depend on continued use. Talk to a dermatologist or doctor before starting it, especially for beard use or oral forms.
Moggingalso: mog, mogged, mogs
Mogging is slang for clearly outshining someone else in looks or presence, usually side by side; to be "mogged" is to be outshone.
The word comes from AMOG ("alpha male of the group"). Comparing yourself to your own past photos is a more useful habit.
Moneymaxxingalso: money maxxing, wealthmaxxing
Moneymaxxing is focusing on increasing your income and financial status, often framed online as an alternative or complement to improving looks.
MTNalso: mid-tier normie, mid tier normie
MTN, mid-tier normie, is forum slang for someone of average attractiveness, the middle of the scale where most people sit.
N
Neckmaxxingalso: neck training, neck maxxing
Neckmaxxing is training the neck muscles to build a thicker neck, which frames the jaw and makes the head-to-shoulder silhouette look stronger.
Start light and progress slowly; the neck is easy to strain.
Normiealso: normies
Normie is slang for an average person, in looksmaxxing contexts someone of ordinary attractiveness; it is split into LTN, MTN and HTN tiers.
P
Philtrumalso: philtrum length
The philtrum is the vertical groove between the nose and the upper lip; a shorter philtrum is generally read as more youthful and balanced.
Length is anatomical. A mustache style or beard can change how prominent it looks.
Posturemaxxingalso: posture maxxing
Posturemaxxing is correcting slouching and forward head posture, which makes you look taller and more confident and improves the jaw and neck line in profile.
Strengthening the upper back and spending less time hunched over screens does most of the work.
Prey eyesalso: prey eye
Prey eyes is forum slang for rounder, more exposed eyes with visible upper eyelid and often a negative canthal tilt; the opposite of hunter eyes.
Plenty of attractive faces have them. Sleep, under-eye care and brow grooming help any eye area more than worrying about the label.
PSLalso: PSL scale, PSL score, PSL rating
PSL is a 1 to 10 facial attractiveness scale from looksmaxxing forums, named after three of those forums, on which a 5 is average and 7+ is rare.
It is deliberately harsh compared with everyday 1 to 10 ratings. The Looks Max rating uses its own calibrated 1.00 to 10.00 scale.
R
Ramusalso: mandibular ramus, ramus length
The ramus is the vertical back part of the lower jaw, running from below the ear to the jaw angle; a longer ramus gives a taller, sharper jaw.
Retinoidsalso: retinol, tretinoin, retinoid
Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives and the best-studied topical ingredients for acne and sun-related skin aging; prescription strengths come through a dermatologist.
They can irritate at first and make skin more sun-sensitive, so daily sunscreen is non-negotiable. Not for use during pregnancy. Ask a dermatologist which type and strength suits you.
S
Sexual dimorphismalso: dimorphism, dimorphic
Sexual dimorphism is the set of features that differ between male and female faces, such as jaw width, brow ridge and cheekbone prominence.
Research on facial attractiveness consistently finds dimorphism cues matter, though preferences vary between people and contexts.
Skinmaxxingalso: skin maxxing, skincare maxxing
Skinmaxxing is improving skin quality through a consistent routine of gentle cleansing, moisturizer, daily sunscreen and proven actives, plus sleep and diet.
Skin clarity is one of the most consistent attractiveness signals and one of the most changeable. Persistent acne is worth a dermatologist visit.
Sleepmaxxingalso: sleep maxxing
Sleepmaxxing is optimizing sleep quality and duration, typically seven to nine hours for adults, for better skin, less puffiness and brighter eyes.
A consistent schedule, a dark cool room and less late caffeine or alcohol beat any gadget.
Smilemaxxingalso: smile maxxing, teethmaxxing
Smilemaxxing is improving your smile through dental hygiene, whitening, orthodontics where needed, and practicing a natural, confident smile.
Whitening and orthodontic work belong with a dentist or orthodontist.
Softmaxxingalso: soft maxxing, softmaxx
Softmaxxing is improving your looks through non-invasive, reversible habits such as skincare, a better haircut, fat loss, grooming, sleep, posture and style.
It is where most real-world gains come from and should be maxed out before anyone considers hardmaxxing.
Statusmaxxingalso: status maxxing
Statusmaxxing is raising your social standing through career, achievements, skills or reputation, on the idea that status affects perceived attractiveness.
Stylemaxxingalso: dressmaxxing, fashionmaxxing, style maxxing
Stylemaxxing is dressing well for your build: clothes that fit, colors that suit your skin tone and a consistent style, often the quickest visible upgrade.
Symmetryalso: facial symmetry
Facial symmetry is how closely the left and right sides of your face mirror each other; research consistently links greater symmetry with higher attractiveness ratings.
No face is perfectly symmetrical. Sleeping on one side, chewing on one side and posture habits can exaggerate small asymmetries. Looks Max scores symmetry as its own metric.
U
Under-eye supportalso: infraorbital support, infraorbital rim, eye bags
Under-eye support is how well the bone and soft tissue below the eye hold up the lower lid; weak support shows as hollows, bags or dark circles.
Sleep, sun protection, less salt and alcohol and a lower body fat help how the area looks. Fillers or surgery are a conversation with a qualified specialist.
V
Voicemaxxingalso: voice maxxing
Voicemaxxing is improving how your voice sounds, usually through slower pacing, better breath support and speaking from the chest rather than forcing a lower pitch.
Straining to talk deeper can hurt your vocal cords; a voice coach or speech therapist can help safely.
Z
Zygomatic archalso: zygomatics, cheekbones, zygos
The zygomatic arch is the cheekbone, running from below the eye toward the ear; high, wide cheekbones are a prominent marker of an attractive face.
You cannot change the bone without surgery, but lower body fat and less facial puffiness make existing cheekbones much more visible.
Frequently asked questions
What does maxxing mean?
Maxxing means maximizing. Added to a word, as in looksmaxxing, skinmaxxing or sleepmaxxing, it means deliberately optimizing that one area of your life or appearance. The suffix started with looksmaxxing on online self-improvement forums and spread into general internet slang.
What are the different types of maxxing?
The appearance-focused types include skinmaxxing, hairmaxxing, jawmaxxing, eyebrowmaxxing, smilemaxxing, gymmaxxing and leanmaxxing. Lifestyle types include sleepmaxxing, posturemaxxing, stylemaxxing and voicemaxxing, and social ones include statusmaxxing, moneymaxxing, socialmaxxing and auramaxxing. They all sit under looksmaxxing or borrow its suffix.
What is the most effective type of maxxing?
For most people, leanmaxxing (getting to a healthy, lean body fat), skinmaxxing and hairmaxxing produce the biggest visible change for the least risk. Lower body fat sharpens the jawline and cheekbones, clear skin is one of the most consistent attractiveness signals, and the right haircut changes a face in a single afternoon. Sleep and posture support all three.
What is the difference between softmaxxing and hardmaxxing?
Softmaxxing is non-invasive and reversible: skincare, haircuts, fat loss, grooming, sleep, posture and style. Hardmaxxing is permanent and medical, such as orthodontics or surgery, and belongs only with qualified professionals. Most people get far more from softmaxxing than they expect and never need to go further.
Is bonesmashing a real looksmaxxing method?
Bonesmashing is a real trend but not a real method. Hitting your facial bones does not build them up in any useful way, and it risks fractures, nerve damage and permanent asymmetry. Never do it; any change to bone structure is a medical matter for a qualified surgeon or orthodontist.
See where your face stands
Looks Max rates your face from one photo, scores each feature — skin, symmetry, jawline, eye area, hair and beard — and turns the weakest into a daily plan.
Socialmaxxingalso: social maxxing
Socialmaxxing is deliberately improving social skills, confidence and your social life, often alongside looksmaxxing to make the most of how you come across.