Looksmaxxing started in "manosphere" online communities in the mid-2010s and went mainstream in the 2020s. The premise is straightforward: systematically optimise your physical appearance to maximise social desirability.

Skin-lightening products sit inside a huge, global skincare economy, and they keep selling for a reason that has very little to do with "radiance." The skin-lightening market is estimated at $10.84 billion in 2026, growing to $18.83 billion by 2034. Skincare overall may be a far bigger market, but a $10bn-plus category is not a side quest.

In the early 2000s, America’s Next Top Model sold itself as an inside look at “the industry”. What it really shipped, week after week, was a rulebook about bodies, delivered with better lighting and a judging panel. The rule wasn’t subtle. Thinness wasn’t a background detail. It was treated like the entry requirement, the performance metric, and the punchline, all at once.