Health
Doctors warn of ‘looksmaxxing’ dangers after influencer’s livestream emergency
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“Clavicular,” the controversial “looksmaxxing” influencer, was reportedly hospitalized due to a suspected overdose Tuesday night during a livestream.
The Miami content creator, 20, posted a photo of his bloody face and commented on X Wednesday.
“Just got home, that was brutal. All of the substances are just [to] cope, trying to feel neurotypical while being in public, but obviously, that isn’t a real solution. The worst part of tonight was my face descending from the life support mask.”
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The influencer, whose real name is Braden Peters, was hospitalized after his livestream was cut short when he began slurring his words and repeating phrases, according to reports.
What is ‘looksmaxxing’ and why is it trending?
Looksmaxxing is a social media trend focused on enhancing appearance, ranging from basic skin care to extreme practices like hitting cheekbones with hammers to alter facial structure.
Looksmaxxing is a social media trend focused on enhancing appearance, ranging from basic skin care to extreme practices like hitting cheekbones with hammers to alter facial structure. (iStock)
The potentially dangerous trend has been popular with young males, plastic surgeons told Fox News Digital.
“In my practice, we’ve seen it primarily in young men in their 20s,” Dr. Josef Hadeed, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California, told Fox News Digital. “We have had a few women, but I’d say by and large, it’s been mostly men who have come into our office wanting these various looksmaxxing procedures.”
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“Patients are increasingly seeking to align how they look with how they feel,” he said. “The difference today is that the tools and technologies available to achieve that have never been more advanced or more accessible.”
Looksmaxxing can be divided into two categories: “softmaxxing” and “hardmaxxing,” according to Hadeed. Softmaxxing is a more simple, non-invasive approach to improving one’s looks.
The potentially dangerous trend has been popular with young males, plastic surgeons told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“It’s really like self-care or grooming – things like going to the gym on a regular basis to try to improve your body composition, or using various skincare products to try to improve your skin texture,” the surgeon said.
Softmaxxing techniques – which can also include teeth whitening, beard grooming, or upgrading a wardrobe or hairstyle – are not usually a problem, according to Hadeed. Hardmaxxing, which involves more extreme measures, can have riskier consequences.
“Even minimally invasive treatments carry real risks if performed incorrectly or by an untrained provider.”
Some individuals in the looksmaxxing online community do things like “bone smashing,” Hadeed said.
“[It’s] literally what it sounds like, where you smash the bones to change the facial structure, and that is obviously not recommended because it can lead to potential complications,” he warned.
“Once you cross that line and start getting into more extreme things, I feel like that’s where most plastic surgeons should draw the line.”
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Dr. C. Bob Basu, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said the biggest safety risks with the looksmaxxing trend come from pursuing treatments without proper medical guidance.
Looksmaxxing can be divided into two categories: “softmaxxing” and “hardmaxxing.” Softmaxxing is a more simple, non-invasive simple approach to improving one’s looks. (iStock)
“Social media can make procedures seem easy or risk-free, but even minimally invasive treatments carry real risks if performed incorrectly or by an untrained provider,” the Houston-based plastic surgeon told Fox News Digital.
To achieve quality results, it is critical to be treated by a board-certified plastic surgeon who understands both safety and anatomy, Basu advised.
What’s driving the trend?
The convergence of social media, constant digital visibility and “unprecedented access to aesthetic treatments” – along with a cultural shift toward optimizing wellness and longevity – are fueling the looksmaxxing trend, according to Basu.
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Hadeed agreed, noting that social media puts pressure on individuals to look perfect.
“People are constantly comparing themselves to other people online,” he told Fox News Digital. “It can quickly develop into body dysmorphia for a lot of people, and that’s when they start pursuing more and more procedures that they don’t need by any stretch – it’s kind of like keeping up with the Joneses.”
Both plastic surgeons emphasized the importance of taking a responsible approach when considering the looksmaxxing trend. (iStock)
Dr. Nancy Frye, a professor in the psychology department at Long Island University in Brookville, New York, also weighed in on what’s driving the looksmaxxing craze.
“We figure out how attractive we might be by comparing what we see in ourselves to what we see in others,” she told Fox News Digital. “This social comparison is especially problematic with social media and filters, as people compare themselves to filtered versions of others.”
Healthier approach
While experts warn of the risks of looksmaxxing, they say a thoughtful approach can have some benefits, including pride in one’s appearance and health.
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The most tangible benefits are associated with the softmaxxing approach, which includes following a fitness routine, eating a clean diet and following regular skin care routines, according to Hadeed.
“The goal should always be thoughtful self-improvement, not perfection.”
With healthy guidance, aesthetic care can “enhance confidence and self-esteem, helping patients feel more aligned with their sense of self,” Basu added.
Both plastic surgeons emphasized the importance of taking a responsible approach when considering the looksmaxxing trend.
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“The goal should always be thoughtful self-improvement, not perfection,” Basu said. “It should never be about looking like someone else or a filtered version of yourself, but rather about becoming a confident, natural and authentic version of you.”
Anyone considering this trend should consult a licensed healthcare professional rather than relying on advice from social media influencers, the doctors advised.
Health
There Are Ants in This Canadian Hospital. Again.
Ants can be a nuisance. Just ask officials at a hospital in Canada who are dealing with an “appearance of ants within the operating room” that has forced them to indefinitely suspend some surgeries there.
The ants appeared recently at Carman Memorial Hospital in Carman Manitoba, according to a statement from Southern Health-Santé Sud, the provincial authority that oversees the hospital.
It was not clear when the hospital would resume operations, but Southern Health said on Friday that a “limited number of elective surgeries” had been postponed and that the hospital was working with patients to reschedule them. Portage Online, a local news website, reported that 16 operations had been postponed, citing information from Southern Health.
It’s not the first time ants have disrupted operations at the hospital. The insects appeared there in August 2024, but “the issue resolved within a few weeks,” Southern Health said. They returned last summer. But with their reappearance this week, the hospital said it was taking more drastic measures. The hospital serves the area around Carman, a town with a population of around 3,000 residents about 47 miles southwest of Winnipeg.
“Any factor that could impact the safety or integrity of the operating room environment requires the suspension of surgical activity until the issue can be resolved,” Southern Health said. “The safety of patients, staff and physicians is paramount.”
The hospital is working with exterminators “to identify the source of the ants and implement additional measures and support a long-term resolution.” Southern Health told Portage Online that exterminators had “surveyed and cleaned drains, opened walls and sealed cracks.”
“Several methods have been used to bait the ants in an effort to find where they are originating from,” the authority said.
In a separate statement to the CBC, Southern Health said that it believed that an ant colony had made its home near the hospital and that they appeared to be “simply seeking food sources inside buildings as ants are known to do.”
The hospital also told the CBC that the ant problem at the hospital did not amount to an “infestation.”
Health
CDC spells out next steps after Americans exposed to hantavirus on cruise ship
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The U.S. government is moving to evacuate American passengers from a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, with plans to transport them to a military base in Nebraska for quarantine and monitoring, federal health officials said Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk to the American public remains extremely low as officials move forward with a medical repatriation flight for passengers aboard the M/V Hondius.
President Donald Trump said earlier Friday that the situation appears to be under control, pointing to the virus being difficult to transmit.
“We have very good people looking at it. It seems to be okay. They know the virus very well. They’ve worked with it for a long time. They know it very well. Not easy to pass on. So we hope that’s true,” he said.
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Health workers in protective gear evacuate patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. (Misper Apawu/AP)
“We seem to have things under very good control. They know that virus very well. It’s been around a long time. Not easily transferable, unlike COVID. But we’ll see. We have very good people studying it very closely.”
The outbreak has escalated over several weeks, beginning with a passenger who became sick in early April and later resulting in at least three deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
Cases are now reported across multiple countries after passengers disembarked in Africa and Europe, prompting health officials to trace contacts globally.
Authorities in Cape Verde at one point blocked passengers from leaving the ship, underscoring concerns about containment.
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An ambulance evacuates patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship to the airport in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. (Misper Apawu/AP)
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly disease typically spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, according to the CDC. While most strains do not spread between people, health officials say the Andes virus — identified in some cases linked to the cruise ship — is the only known strain capable of limited person-to-person transmission.
The vessel is expected to dock in Spain’s Canary Islands, where international teams are coordinating next steps for passengers and crew.
A CDC team has been deployed to the Canary Islands to assess potential exposure among American passengers and determine monitoring needs.
Returning passengers are expected to be flown on a U.S. government medical repatriation flight to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.
Health workers in protective gear evacuate patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship into an ambulance at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. (Misper Apawu/AP)
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They will then be transported to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for further monitoring.
Additional CDC personnel will be stationed at Offutt Air Force Base to support health assessments.
Health
Can wearables detect heart problems early? Doctor breaks down real data
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From tracking sleep and steps to monitoring heart rate, temperature and stress levels, wearable devices like smartwatches and rings are growing in popularity as wellness tools.
Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade recently used one of these — an Oura ring — to track his metrics from the early morning hours through a demanding work schedule and reported the results live on “Fox & Friends.”
“I just got four hours and one minute [of sleep], but I have some REM sleep, 14%, over 20% of deep sleep. Feeling pretty good, I feel pretty fresh,” Kilmeade shared during his first early morning update, reviewing the stats from his ring.
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Throughout the day, the wearable tracked his physiological responses to various environments, from the stress of a live television broadcast to the physical exertion of a workout.
Wearable devices are changing cardiology’s landscape, helping detect conditions like atrial fibrillation early, a cardiologist said. (iStock)
Kilmeade observed the data in real time, noting, “You see the stress level spike just a little bit … as I make my way over to radio, my activity is going to pick up.”
By the end of his day, which included a trip to West Point and hours spent in a car, the device provided a summary of Kilmeade’s activity levels and heart rate stability.
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Dr. Craig Basman, a New Jersey cardiologist, joined the program to interpret the data and discuss the clinical implications of such technology.
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Basman immediately addressed Kilmeade’s limited rest. “Well, I don’t think you have to be a cardiologist to diagnose him with suboptimal sleep,” he said.
The cardiologist urged users to treat the data as a catalyst for lifestyle changes. (iStock)
However, the doctor highlighted the broader potential of these tools, explaining that “these wearable devices are changing the landscape of cardiology” and that “the future is bright, not just for preventative care … but also screening and detection of actual cardiovascular pathology.”
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The cardiologist urged users to treat the data as a catalyst for lifestyle changes, noting that he wouldn’t recommend detection tools unless you’re “going to do something about it.”
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Regarding the accuracy of the technology, Basman said there is “robust data” to suggest that the numbers are “incredibly accurate” for a lot of the metrics people are viewing, specifically data like resting heart rate and heart rate variability.
Wearable health tech like watches and rings can track sleep, heart rate and stress. (iStock)
He also mentioned that some devices can detect serious conditions like atrial fibrillation, which affects millions and can often go undetected during a standard physical exam.
For younger individuals, wearables can serve as a “great primary prevention tool,” according to the doctor, given that plaque can begin to develop in the arteries as early as the 20s and 30s.
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For the older population, the devices act more as a “screening tool for actual existing cardiac pathology,” he added.
Anyone concerned about wearable health data should consult a doctor for medical guidance.
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