Gen Z men compete to spend 'tons of money' on cosmetic surgery to look like stars

"Lookmaxxing" is an online trend that is gaining popularity among young people around the world , especially in the United States. It is an attempt to change one's appearance to conform to certain beauty standards, often modeled by entertainment stars.

Not only women but also Gen Z guys are racing to do everything to have a "flawless" appearance, from applying diets, tongue exercises to spending thousands of dollars on beauty treatments such as Botox injections, cosmetic surgery, aiming to own a perfect angular face.

“We see a lot of guys looking for facial balance by creating a strong jawline and a sculpted look,” Dr. Jennifer Levine, a plastic surgeon on the Upper East Side, told The Post.

Since 2020, Jennifer Levine has seen a 400% increase in the number of men in their 20s coming to her clinic for jawline correction.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Levine. (Photo: Stefano Giovannini)

“Having a square jaw is considered masculine,” the expert added. “Many Gen Zers are obsessed with Patrick Bateman in the movie ‘American Psy.’ They aim to have a face like the actor who played him.”

Many guys want to have a face like Patrick Bateman in the movie "American Psy". (Photo: Stefano Giovannini)

Meanwhile, student Lewis Friedenthal (23 years old, studying Public Policy at New York University) wants to have surgery to look more like Australian fashion model Jordan Barrett than actor Bateman.

“I wanted everything to be sharper. I was looking at all these images of male models and I wanted to have the same bone structure as him,” Friedenthal said.

Model Jordan Barrett's angular jawline and sculpted cheekbones are also a role model for many Gen Zers. (Photo: Stefano Giovannini)

First, he tried “softmaxxing” (a non-surgical facelift) to achieve the look he wanted without going under the knife. Friedenthal experimented with tongue exercises like meowing and chewing gum to sharpen his facial features.

However, that method did not work, so he continued to spend $ 1,000 (25 million VND) on Botox injections to lower his eyebrows to have a more balanced face. "My eyebrows were uneven. I wanted them to be straighter and lifted at the end. Men want a hunter-eye look, so I had to fix it," Friedenthal added.

Still not satisfied with his current face, Friedenthal decided to continue tweaking, using “hardmaxxing” (more extreme methods, such as jaw surgery) to achieve the desired look. He removed buccal fat using a non-invasive procedure in which fat under the cheeks is removed through small incisions inside the mouth. He also removed chin fat and lifted his chin and jawline.

In short, this guy spent about $7,000 (VND 178 million) to get a sharper look.

Friedenthal earned the money for the surgery from paid internships and a job at a spray tan salon. "I'm very comfortable with my appearance, and the decision to have surgery was a subtle change for me," he said.

Friedenthal first tried the “softmaxxing” method to achieve the look he wanted without surgery. (Photo: Stefano Giovannini)

He spent $1,000 on Botox injections to lower his eyebrows. (Photo: Stefano Giovannini)

Friedenthal wants surgery to make his face more defined. (Photo: Stefano Giovannini)

“Lookmaxxing” is just one of many trends that are popular among young people. Gen Z guys also pursue the trend of “smellmaxxing” (enhancing their scent) by spending hundreds of dollars at a time on designer perfumes, or the trend of “gymmaxxing” (improving their appearance by working out hard).

The "maxxing" trend originated in the "incel" community (involuntary celibates, people who define themselves as unable to find a suitable romantic partner) but now appeals to all types of men.

Kareem Shami, a 23-year-old from San Diego, California, is a popular member of the “softmaxxing” community on TikTok. He uses the handle @syrianpsycho, which has 1.6 million followers.

Shami says good skin care and exercise have helped him feel confident. (Photo: Kareem Shami)

As a teenager, Shami felt like an outcast immigrant. He decided to invest his time and money in skin care and exercise, focusing on “what I could control.”

“It's basically self-care, it's anything you do to improve your appearance and how you present yourself," Shami shares.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/trai-gen-z-dua-nhau-chi-tien-tan-phau-thuat-tham-my-de-giong-ngoi-sao-17224062008062634.htm