THE “LOOKSMAXXING” PHENOMΕΝΟΝ

Hankering for a chiseled jawline, a male Tik Tok influencer strikes his cheekbones with a hammer highlighting the rise of "looksmaxxing," an online trend pushing unproven and sometimes dangerous techniques to boost sexual appeal.

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Looksmaxxing influencers of an online ecosystem dubbed the "manosphere" - have surged in popularity across social media, capitalizing on the insecurities of young men eager to boost their physical attractiveness to women.

In posts across Tik Tok, Instagram and YouTube, they promote pseudoscientific methods to achieve everything from pouty lips to chin extensions and almond-shaped "hunter eyes," often while monetizing their popularity by endorsing a range of consumer products.

In more extreme cases, these influencers advocate taking steroids, undergoing plastic surgery and even "leg-lengthening" procedures to become more attractive.

While women may pay regular visits to aestheticians or buy new beauty products, spurring a global beauty retail market worth hundreds of billions of dollars, the manosphere at times promotes a DIY approach that draws on the nearest toolbox.

"Babe, what's taking you so long in the bathroom?" reads the caption flashing across a viral Tik Tok video of a man seen hitting his cheeks with the sharp edge of a hammer, in what he calls his "skincare routine." Underneath the video are dozens of comments warning that "bone smashing." also known as the hammer technique, was "dangerous" while others hailed it as a legitimate way to achieve an angular jawline.