The Bizarre Looksmaxxing Trend: Peptide Injections

For the chronically online, looksmaxxing may be a familiar phrase, yet the iceberg

contains more than just popular phrases that float to the top. Below the surface fads, like mogging, lie dangerous pseudoscience, kooky influencers, and dropshipped injectables.

A quick history: Looksmaxxing started on incel discussion boards during the 2010s

where men would discuss how to make themselves more attractive to women. In these

communities, looksmaxxers discuss attractiveness as a set of ‘scientific’ rules, like the angle of

your eyes (they call this canthal tilt), spacing of your features (“midface too long, mogged”), and

relativity to thinness. Individuals rated themselves on numerical scales, with those who fall on

the lower end advised to ‘ropemaxx’ and those on the higher end deemed Gigachads. After being co-opted by internet users around 2021, looksmaxxing entered the mainstream algorithm as no more than a joke.

Enter: Clavicular and the resurgence of unironic looksmaxxing. The 20-year-old

influencer who has notoriously engaged in dangerous, self-harming behaviours in attempts to

reach “True Adam” status. Alongside bonesmashing attempts to reshape his bone structure

through brute force, he has been extremely vocal about the various injectables he takes. This

caught my attention. What were the side effects of these injections? What were they? How did

they even circulate?

Enter: Peptides. A part of a protein chain that signals the body to perform a function. We

ingest peptides daily through the food we eat and require them for most body processes.

However, concentrated versions of peptides are circulating through the looksmaxxing

communities and are even being used by some celebrities. These drugs are not approved by Health Canada/FDA-approved, and are commonly dropped shipped from third-party providers, meaning what exactly is in the peptide concoction is unknown. How do they circulate if they’re illegal? Some peptides stem from compounding pharmacies. These suppliers are able to ‘compound’ medication based on bulk ingredient lists, as opposed to most pharmacies that supply pre-manufactured drugs. Peptides are banned from being made by these pharmacies, yet it remains an issue. Peptides are also frequently sold under the guise of not being for human consumption or labelled as ‘for research purposes’, allowing manufacturers to bypass stringent regulations and ship out to customers.

The problem with peptide injections is not the peptides themselves. Because they are not

regulated or cleared for on- or off-label use, there’s no way to confirm what you’re actually

injecting into your bloodstream. Possible side effects could include allergic reactions, hormonal

disruptions, and potentially deadly consequences.

Celebrities like Jenifer Aniston, Serena Williams, and Joe Rogan have all been vocal

about the usage of these injectables. Although harmless on the surface, championing a highly

unregulated and illegal substance as the solution to physical ailments cannot be overly positive.

At a time when Ozempic (also a peptide, but a regulated one), thinness, and approximation to

beauty standards are making a return, the choice to inject peptide concoctions exposes how the

beauty and health industry isn’t overly concerned for your health and never really has been.