There should be a proverb about not taking advice from someone who once took a garage tool to their jawline, and yet some young men still listen to Braden Peters, better known as Clavicular, even after his mum had to take away his bonesmashing hammer. It’s actually precisely because his advice is extreme that Clavicular has become the most famous looksmaxxer in the world. Once a fringe community formed in openly misogynistic forums, Clavicular is one of the main streamers to turn looksmaxxing, an internet subculture with the singular focus of men maximising their physical attractiveness, mainstream. The 20-year-old has injected and ingested a number of things that he claims made him more handsome. So, what could go wrong? Well, quite a lot.

Let’s start by emphasising the fact that the looksmaxxing community isn’t the place to go for any real advice (physical or otherwise). It’s a place where only one type of beauty is praised: chiselled-jawed white men. In fact, a Black man who attempted to make looksmaxxing content was racially harassed, and Clavicular himself routinely uses the N-word. None of this actually makes you attractive to most reasonable people – except for other male Face-Raters, apparently. Still, as the looksmaxxing community continues to grow online, it’s worth unpacking what would happen if you actually followed Clavicular’s advice.

At 6-foot-2 with a 31-inch waist and a midface ratio of 1.07 (whatever that means), Clavicular has calculated that he’s handsome. But it’s not enough. He wants to further “ascend,” which is looksmaxxer lingo for improving your attractiveness, to the level of the actor Matt Bomer, whose face he considers to be the most harmonious man’s face in existence. That’s why he wants a bimaxillary osteotomy, also known as double jaw surgery. But, like just about everything Clavicular does, that doesn’t come without its risks. Dr Jason Nagata, a paediatrician specialising in adolescence health, says the jaw surgery can lead to allergic reactions, bruising or blood clots, infections, buildup of scar tissue, nerve damage and more. 

And Clavicular isn’t just looking at one surgery. He also wants limb lengthening surgery in the future, and his daily “beauty” routine apparently includes taking testosterone, dutasteride and minoxidil for his hair, Accutane for his skin, crystal meth to hollow his cheeks (which is, of course, an addictive synthetic stimulant that causes considerable health adversities), along with the steroid anavar and the experimental weight-loss medication retatrutide. Also included in the cocktail of substances is melanotan II for tanning and the peptide NAD+ for “cell health”. Some of these can be prescribed by a dermatologist (like minoxidil and Accutane), but others are completely experimental. In one interview, he even admitted to injecting substances into his penis.

Even aside from the crystal meth use, anabolic steroids (testosterone and Anavar) are not only illegal in the US when used outside of medical supervision, but the long-term health consequences can be very serious, including heart attacks, strokes, liver or kidney problems or failure. “Another concern for growing teenagers is that steroids can actually affect their growth and development, as well as have mental health consequences like extreme irritability and aggression,” says Dr Nagata. Retatrutide, a weight loss treatment, is not currently FDA-approved and clinical trials show potential harmful side effects include gastrointestinal distress, as well as rare instances of acute pancreatitis. NAD+ peptide therapy is also currently not scientifically backed up. And melanotan II may be associated with malignant melanoma onset, with the potential side effects including painful, sustained erections, reduced blood flow to the kidneys and muscle disintegration.

Dr Nora Jaafar, a cosmetic dermatologist and previous NHS medical doctor, says the concern with Clavicular’s so-called beauty advice isn’t just one compound, although some of them are deeply concerning on their own, but the cumulative physiological stress of stacking multiple drugs. For example, testosterone therapy, Anavar and Accutane can all affect liver enzymes, cholesterol and cardiovascular risk. “Combining them increases the need for medical supervision and blood monitoring,” she says. “These stacks are often presented online as ‘optimisation’, but pharmacologically they are complex and should not be undertaken without proper clinical oversight.” By stacking hormones and peptides, you are essentially conducting one of the first human trials of mixing these substances on yourself. 

“These stacks are often presented online as ‘optimisation’, but pharmacologically they are complex and should not be undertaken without proper clinical oversight”

Even something like Accutane, which can be helpful for those prescribed it for their acne, has side effects and requires lab monitoring, so it’s best to start with over-the-counter products first, says Dr Brendan Camp, a double board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology. “If those products are not addressing your acne, consult with a board-certified dermatologist for evaluation and treatment,” he says. “In addition, testosterone and anabolic steroids like Anavar can trigger acne, which is counterproductive to taking isotretinoin [Accutane].” So, not only can combining your own concoction of looksmaxxing substances be dangerous, but it may also be counter-productive. 

For those on the pursuit of looksmaxxing, Dr Camp recommends taking it back to basics instead: maintaining a simple skincare routine, a healthy diet, an exercise program and a sleep schedule. “The concept of being handsome at all costs is unrealistic and unhealthy,” he says. “To clear through the conflicting advice online, seek the guidance of a board-certified dermatologist.” It all sounds so simple – but looksmaxxing is clearly appealing to young men for a reason. As Dr Jaafar puts it: “It’s creating the same appearance pressure that women have experienced for decades, but directed at men through the lens of performance and competition.” This pressure is being accelerated by algorithms that reward extreme transformations. 

Following Clavicular’s lead towards a ludicrous beauty standard is without a doubt dangerous for your health. Even Clavicular himself believes he’s currently infertile because of testosterone replacement therapy. Worst-case scenario, it could even potentially be deadly. But, as Dr Jaafar points out, taking a health risk for the sake of aesthetics isn’t exactly new: for centuries, women have died attempting to keep up with beauty standards, whether through arsenic-laced makeup in the Victorian era or undergoing risky procedures like BBLs today. Through looksmaxxing, young men are now under scrutiny like never before.

To make it even more confusing, Clavicular sometimes (but not often) actually posts some dermatologically-backed advice, like using sunscreen every day. (He’s also been known to use an eyelash curler and eyeliner, which could be encouraging to men who want to experiment with makeup.) “When a creator mixes a few legitimate medical concepts (like sunscreen or acne treatment) with unproven or risky ideas, it can create a false sense of authority,” says Dr Jaafar. “That makes it difficult for audiences to distinguish evidence-based advice from speculation.”

Dr Nagata compares hormone and peptide stacking, as Clavicular famously does, to playing a game of Russian Roulette. “We just don’t know the true side effects of mixing and matching these medications,” he says. As always, this is where it pays to swap viral tricks and tips for professional advice, and to remember that some of the most attractive qualities in life can’t be quantified by a ratio.