Look more handsome
How to Be More Handsome: 25 Changes That Actually Work
How to look more handsome as a man: 25 evidence-informed changes to skin, hair, beard, body fat, posture, style and photos — ranked by impact and by how fast they work.
Key takeaways
- The fastest wins are presentation, not bone: a haircut suited to your face shape, a defined beard line or clean shave, clear skin and clothes that fit.
- Lower body fat is the single biggest lever on facial definition — it reveals the jawline and cheekbones you already have.
- Sleep, posture and grooming consistency compound: small daily habits change how attractive you read within weeks.
To be more handsome, change the things that frame your face and signal health: get a haircut suited to your face shape, define or remove your beard, keep your skin clear, lower your body fat and wear clothes that fit. Those five account for most of the difference between an average-looking man and the same man at his best.
Below are 25 changes that work, grouped by area, each with why it works and exactly what to do. None of them require surgery, supplements or a new face. This is the practical end of softmaxxing: improving what you already have.
What does “handsome” actually mean?
Handsome is mostly a combination of balance, health and grooming, with a few structural cues on top. Research on facial attractiveness has been fairly consistent about the main ingredients:
- Averageness. Faces close to the population average in proportions tend to be rated more attractive than faces with one extreme feature.
- Symmetry. More symmetrical faces are generally preferred, though no real face is perfectly symmetrical and small asymmetries are invisible in person.
- Skin clarity. Even tone and clear texture read as health and youth. This is one of the most changeable factors.
- Sexual dimorphism cues. Moderately masculine features, such as a defined jaw and brow, are often preferred, but extreme masculinity is not consistently rated higher.
- Health and grooming signals. Rested eyes, a tidy hairline and beard, good posture and a lean face all signal that you look after yourself.
- Expression. A relaxed, warm expression is rated more attractive than a tense or blank one, on the same face.
Notice how many of these you control. Bone structure sets your range; the habits below decide where in that range you land.
Face and skin (changes 1–6)
Clear, even skin is the most underrated upgrade for men. For a deeper routine, see the skinmaxxing guide.
1. Wear sunscreen every morning
Why it works: UV exposure is the main driver of premature skin aging, uneven tone and dark spots.
How: Apply a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher as the last step of your morning routine, every day, including cloudy days. Reapply if you are outside for hours.
2. Run a simple two-step routine
Why it works: Consistent cleansing and moisturizing keeps the skin barrier healthy, which reduces redness, flaking and shine.
How: Gentle cleanser and a fragrance-free moisturizer morning and night. Skip harsh scrubs and bar soap on your face.
3. Treat acne properly
Why it works: Active breakouts and marks are among the first things people notice on a face.
How: Start with an over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid product. If you still have regular breakouts after 8 to 12 weeks, or any cystic acne, see a dermatologist; the strongest treatments are prescription decisions.
4. Add a retinoid slowly
Why it works: Retinoids are the best-studied topical for skin texture, acne and photoaging.
How: Use an over-the-counter retinol two or three nights a week, building up as your skin tolerates it, and always wear sunscreen the next day. Ask a dermatologist before using anything stronger.
5. Groom your eyebrows
Why it works: Tidy brows frame the eyes and make the whole eye area look sharper and more awake.
How: Remove the hair between the brows and obvious strays below the brow line. Do not thin or reshape the top edge; overgroomed brows look unnatural on most men.
6. Fix your smile
Why it works: Teeth are visible in every conversation and every smiling photo.
How: Get a dental cleaning, ask your dentist about whitening, and if your teeth are crowded or your bite is off, ask an orthodontist about aligners or braces.
Hair and beard (changes 7–12)
Hair and facial hair are the fastest way to change the shape your face appears to have.
7. Get a haircut for your face shape
Why it works: The right cut adds height or width where your face needs it and balances proportions.
How: Identify your face shape and bring two or three reference photos to a good barber. The haircut-for-face-shape guide shows which cuts suit which shapes.
8. Keep a trim schedule
Why it works: A great cut that has grown out by six weeks looks like no cut at all.
How: Book the next appointment before you leave, every 3 to 5 weeks for short styles, 6 to 8 for longer ones.
9. Style it every day
Why it works: Styled hair looks intentional; unstyled hair of the same cut looks like bedhead.
How: Blow-dry for volume, then use a small amount of matte clay or paste. Ask your barber to show you how they styled it.
10. Decide on the beard, then define it
Why it works: A shaped beard can add angle and width to the lower face; a patchy, undefined one blurs it.
How: Either shave cleanly or keep a beard with a sharp neckline about one to two fingers above the Adam’s apple and a clean cheek line. Trim every few days. For more on the lower face, see the jawline guide.
11. Deal with hair loss early
Why it works: Thinning is far easier to slow down early than to reverse later.
How: If your hairline is receding or the crown is thinning, see a dermatologist soon. The effective treatments are medical decisions; meanwhile, a shorter cut makes thinning less visible.
12. Handle the small hairs
Why it works: Nose, ear and neck hair are small details that read as neglect.
How: Use a dedicated trimmer once a week and clean up the back of the neck between haircuts.
Body (changes 13–17)
Your body changes your face more than most facial tricks do.
13. Lower your body fat
Why it works: Facial fat hides your jawline and cheekbones. Losing it is the single biggest lever on facial definition.
How: Eat in a moderate calorie deficit and aim to lose roughly 0.5 to 1 percent of body weight per week, with enough protein to keep muscle. Slow loss looks better than fast loss.
14. Lift weights three times a week
Why it works: Broader shoulders and upper back improve your proportions and how clothes hang on you.
How: Follow a simple full-body or upper/lower program built on presses, rows, pull-ups or pulldowns, squats and hinges. Add weight or reps over time.
15. Sleep seven to nine hours
Why it works: Sleep-deprived faces look puffier, paler and more tired, especially around the eyes.
How: Keep a fixed wake time, cut caffeine after early afternoon and keep the bedroom dark and cool.
16. Fix forward head posture
Why it works: Pushing your head forward softens the jaw and neck line and makes you look shorter and less confident.
How: Stack your ears over your shoulders, raise your screens to eye level and train your upper back. Check your posture every time you sit down.
17. Cut back on alcohol and excess salt
Why it works: Both cause water retention and facial puffiness that hides definition.
How: Limit drinking, especially the night before something that matters, drink water through the day and watch heavily salted processed food.
Style (changes 18–21)
Clothes do not change your face, but they change the impression your face makes.
18. Wear clothes that fit
Why it works: Fit is what separates looking sharp from looking sloppy, regardless of brand or budget.
How: Shirts should sit on your shoulder bone, sleeves should not bunch, and trousers should taper with little break. A tailor can fix most off-the-rack pieces cheaply.
19. Choose colors that suit your face
Why it works: Colors near your face can make skin look clearer and healthier or washed out.
How: Build around navy, white, gray, olive and earth tones. Notice which tops make your skin look clearer in photos and buy more of those.
20. Upgrade the basics and shoes
Why it works: Clean, simple basics look better than busy graphics, and worn-out shoes undo a good outfit.
How: Own a few plain, well-fitting tees, an oxford shirt, dark jeans or chinos and one or two pairs of clean, minimal shoes.
21. Pick glasses that fit your face
Why it works: Frames sit at the center of your face and change its proportions.
How: Choose frames roughly as wide as your face, with a shape that contrasts with it: angular frames for round faces, softer frames for square ones.
Presence and photos (changes 22–25)
How you hold your face, and how a camera captures it, matters as much as the face itself.
22. Relax your expression
Why it works: A soft, genuine expression is rated more attractive than a tense or blank one on the same face.
How: Unclench your jaw, relax your forehead and let your smile reach your eyes. A slight narrowing of the lower eyelids reads as confident rather than startled.
23. Hold eye contact and open posture
Why it works: Confidence is part of how attractive you read in person.
How: Hold eye contact a beat longer, keep your shoulders back and your hands out of your pockets, and slow your movements down.
24. Use better light
Why it works: Overhead and harsh light creates shadows under the eyes and exaggerates skin texture.
How: Face a window with soft daylight. Avoid direct overhead bulbs and midday sun on your face.
25. Move the camera back
Why it works: A phone held close to your face distorts it, making the nose and center of the face look larger.
How: Shoot from at least an arm's length away, ideally with the rear camera at 2x zoom from a meter or more, at or slightly above eye level.
Which changes matter most? Impact vs speed
If you only do ten, do these. Body fat has the biggest effect but takes the longest; grooming and style are smaller but show up the same day.
| Change | Impact | Time to visible result |
|---|---|---|
| Lower body fat (13) | Very high | 8–16 weeks |
| Haircut for face shape (7) | High | Same day |
| Defined beard or clean shave (10) | High | Same day |
| Clothes that fit (18) | High | Days (tailoring) |
| Clear skin: routine + acne treatment (2, 3) | High | 6–12 weeks |
| Lift weights (14) | High | 8–12 weeks |
| Fix posture (16) | Medium–high | Immediate when held; 4–8 weeks to become habit |
| Sleep 7–9 hours (15) | Medium | 1–2 weeks |
| Groom eyebrows (5) | Medium | Same day |
| Better photo light and distance (24, 25) | Medium (high in photos) | Same day |
Want a structured order to do them in? The 90-day looksmaxxing routine sequences these changes week by week.
What not to do
The looksmaxxing space is full of shortcuts that cost more than they give. Skip these:
- Bonesmashing. Hitting your face to “remodel” bone causes injury, not a better jaw. See bonesmashing in the glossary.
- Crash diets. Very low-calorie diets cost muscle, can trigger temporary hair shedding and leave your face looking drawn rather than defined.
- Steroids and SARMs. Unprescribed hormones risk acne, accelerated hair loss, fertility problems and heart strain. The look you want is reachable without them.
- Unprescribed drugs and DIY procedures. Hair-loss and acne medications, injectables and needling belong with a doctor, not a forum.
- Filters and face-tuning apps. They set a target no real face, including yours, can match in person, and the gap makes you feel worse.
How do you know it is working?
Measure it. Take the same photo, in the same light and at the same distance, before you start and every 30 days. The mirror adapts to you; a fixed photo setup does not.
Looks Max adds a consistent score to that photo: a face rating from 1.00 to 10.00 with separate scores for skin quality, symmetry, jawline and chin, eye area, and hair, so you can see which of the 25 changes moved the needle. The methodology page explains how the score is built.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to look more handsome?
Get a haircut chosen for your face shape, clean up your beard line or shave cleanly, groom your eyebrows and wear clothes that fit. All four work the same day. They change how your face is framed and how put-together you look, which is most of what people notice first.
Can you become more handsome without surgery?
Yes, and for most men the non-surgical changes are bigger than they expect. Lowering body fat reveals the jawline and cheekbones you already have, consistent skincare improves skin clarity, and grooming and fit change how attractive you read. Surgery only changes bone or soft tissue structure, and it carries real medical risk.
How long does a glow up take for a guy?
Grooming and style changes show immediately. Skin improvements usually take 6 to 12 weeks of consistent care, and visible body-fat or muscle changes usually take 8 to 16 weeks. A focused 90-day plan is long enough for most of these to show up in photos.
Does losing weight make your face more attractive?
If you carry excess body fat, losing it is usually the single biggest improvement to facial definition. Fat around the jaw, under the chin and in the cheeks softens bone structure, so reducing it sharpens the jawline and cheekbones. Lose it gradually; crash dieting can leave you looking drawn and tired instead.
What makes a man handsome?
Research on facial attractiveness consistently points to a few factors: an average, balanced face, reasonable symmetry, clear and even skin, moderate masculine features, and signs of health and good grooming. Expression matters too; a relaxed, warm face is rated more attractive than a tense one. Many of these are changeable through habits.
Is mewing a good way to become more handsome?
Mewing, or resting your tongue on the roof of your mouth, will not visibly reshape adult bone. It can encourage better head posture and nasal breathing, which helps a little. Body fat, grooming and skin care are far bigger and more reliable levers for an adult.
How can I measure whether I am getting more handsome?
Take the same photo in the same spot, light and camera distance every 30 days and compare them side by side. A face-rating app can add a consistent score and feature-by-feature breakdown so you can see which areas improved. The key is keeping the photo setup identical every time.
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.