Top stories

→ ‘Anti-aging’ peptides may soon be easier to get amid RFK Jr.’s push

→ Doctors expose ‘buffalo hump’ as potential sign of hidden health conditions

→ Popular weight-loss medications linked to hidden side effects

Interview of the week

→ Dr. Wendy Troxel shares relationship tips for chronic snorers and their tired partners

Unexpected threats

→ Doctor warns wearable fitness trackers could backfire

→ Where you live could shape your risk of cancer mortality

→ Lead contamination exposed in public parks across major city

Conversation starters

→ Dementia risk could be tied to your mindset and outlook on life

→ Americans wait overnight for access to free healthcare as costs soar

→ What is butt microneedling? Behind the ‘desperate’ procedure Kelly Ripa tried

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

“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.”

WHAT IS BUTT MICRONEEDLING? BEHIND THE ‘DESPERATE’ PROCEDURE KELLY RIPA TRIED

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.

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.”

THE REAL REASON FOR SAGGING JOWLS, AND WHAT WILL AND WON’T HELP, ACCORDING TO AN EXPERT

“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.

“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.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

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.

“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.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

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.”

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.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

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.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“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.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will reportedly weigh easing restrictions on peptides in anticipated talks.

The meeting, which is expected to be held in July, will discuss relaxing limits on more than a half dozen peptide injections.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids — the building blocks of proteins — that play key roles in biological functions, according to the National Institutes of Health. Peptide drugs are lab-made versions of natural molecules in the body that are designed to mimic or influence biological signals to treat disease, experts say.

PARALYZED MAN WALKS AGAIN AFTER EXPERIMENTAL DRUG TRIAL TRIGGERS REMARKABLE RECOVERY

In a federal notice released Wednesday, the FDA identified these drugs — used for conditions ranging from insomnia to obesity — for potential inclusion on a list of substances that can be safely compounded by pharmacies.

This follows Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s push to deregulate peptides, which he’s spoken about publicly, although most peptides have not been reviewed for safety by the FDA.

Kennedy has discussed using the substances for personal injuries. In a recent interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, he stated that he’s a “big fan of peptides.”

ARE PEPTIDES THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH? DOCTORS WARN HYPE MAY OUTPACE SCIENCE

The HHS secretary mentioned that he’s “very anxious” to making some peptides “more accessible.”

“My hope is that they will get moved to a place where people have access from ethical suppliers,” Kennedy said, alluding to the FDA taking action.

What to know about peptides

Peptides have gained popularity among wellness influencers and fitness gurus as a means of building muscle, healing injuries or appearing younger, the AP reported.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Peptides act like a signal to hormones and the human body. Similar to how GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists), such as Ozempic, suppress appetite and trigger weight loss, peptides can signal other functions, like the release of growth hormones.

Certain peptides up for review by the FDA, like BPC-157, are marketed for tendon healing, gut healing (in cases like ulcerative colitis), injury recovery and inflammation reduction, although the FDA has warned about the risk of unapproved peptide treatments.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

The FDA wrote in a February advisory that “compounded drugs should only be used in patients whose medical needs cannot be met by an FDA-approved drug.”

“Patients should obtain a prescription from their doctor and fill the prescription at a state-licensed pharmacy,” the agency wrote.

The current peptide market has been referred to as the “Wild West” due to lack of regulation. In an interview with AP, Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official who now leads the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., commented that “the Wild West is about to become wilder.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“I don’t see why one would take the path of proper drug approval if there is now this less rigorous, alternative path to market,” he said.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Under the Biden administration, the FDA added nearly 20 peptides to a list of substances that should not be produced by compounding pharmacies, according to the AP.

The panel of pharmacy advisers at the time noted that the peptides did not meet criteria for safety.