Health
‘Looksmaxxing’ trend has young men taking hammers to their faces in pursuit of sharper features
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Brian Kilmeade sat down with experts to dissect a growing online phenomenon that has captured the attention of young men across the country.
Known as “looksmaxxing,” this trend involves a quest for sharper physical features and increased confidence, often categorized into two distinct paths: “softmaxxing” and “hardmaxxing.”
While the movement promises self-improvement, the segment revealed deeper concerns regarding safety and the psychological motivations driving these young “looksmaxxers.”
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Kilmeade opened the discussion by describing the trend as a quest for young men to “surpass genetic potential.” He noted that the methods vary wildly, ranging from “elaborate skin care routines” to extreme physical interventions.
While the movement promises self-improvement, experts are raising concerns regarding the safety and psychological motivations behind looksmaxxing. (iStock)
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Claire Wolinsky said the trend has been gaining momentum for at least a year, highlighting popular techniques like “mewing,” where young men attempt to reshape their jawlines through specific tongue positioning.
The New York-based expert was quick to debunk the effectiveness of such methods, stating that they are “clearly not science-based at all.”
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The shift toward male-centric beauty standards appears to be heavily influenced by the digital landscape, according to Wolinsky, who observed that “social media is pushing this way.” Many young people have become suspicious of traditional medical advice, she added.
Instead, she said, they “look online for their information, and they look at attractive peers to see what they’re doing, and they want to look like them.”
A family therapist raised critical questions about the underlying mental health of those participating in the movement. (iStock)
This digital influence has created a vacuum where influencers dictate health and grooming standards for a generation of men instead of physicians, Wolinsky noted.
Family therapist Tom Kersting shared concerns about the underlying mental health of those participating in the movement.
The New Jersey-based expert questioned whether these young men are acting out of “narcissistic behavior” or if they are in “search of some form of external gratification from strangers online.”
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Kersting emphasized that true self-worth cannot be measured by digital metrics, adding that “self-esteem is how I feel about myself. It has nothing to do with how many likes, followers or thumbs-up that I get from the outside world.”
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While the experts acknowledged that some aspects of the trend are benign, the line between self-care and self-harm is becoming increasingly blurred.
Wolinsky pointed out that taking care of your skin or sleeping well can be beneficial.
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In contrast, she expressed alarm over “hardmaxxing” behaviors, which include taking steroids and supplements or seeking plastic surgery at a young age. These practices, she noted, “concern me as a mom and also as a physician.”
The conversation shifted to “bone smashing,” a practice where individuals purportedly use physical objects to alter their facial structure.
“Hardmaxxing” behaviors include taking steroids and supplements or seeking plastic surgery at a young age. (iStock)
Wolinsky clarified the danger of such actions, explaining that “they’re apparently taking hammers or physical objects and hurting themselves.”
“There’s no way that by destroying a bone, it gets thicker or better, or your jawline’s going to look improved,” she said.
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Kersting suggested that the rise of looksmaxxing may be a symptom of a broader societal crisis facing young males who feel “pushed aside and forgotten about.”
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As young men struggle to find their identity, he said, they may turn to the internet for guidance.
“The people that are influencing them… these social media influencers… don’t really have anything very influential to offer.”
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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