How to ACTUALLY Looksmaxx as a Man - The Ultimate Guide

If you are a man looking to get more attention from women (both in person and on dating apps), there is simply no better investment you can make than learning about aesthetics and ascending to your maximum looks potential.

You will never get more matches and feel more confident around women than when you know you look your absolute best. But if you truly want to maximize your potential and start matching with the most attractive possible women, you’re going to need to invest time into maximizing your looks.

This is a process that requires time, patience, money, and dedication. Most guys give up way too quickly, or never try in the first place. But I can tell you first hand, it is by far the most rewarding journey I’ve ever been on. No amount of money or status can replace the confidence you get from knowing you look as hot as you possibly can with the cards you were dealt.

I went through an absolutely *insane *looks improvement journey myself, and it completely changed my life. I went from a legit 2/10 to being considerably above average in attractiveness, and it didn’t involve any of the extreme techniques you hear about online these days. A lot of them are aimed at impressionable young men who are struggling with women, and it’s really sad to see.

Everything you are about to read is what I’ve learned from 3 years of constant focus and improvement on my looks, which ultimately culminated in huge amounts of attention from women. I’ve thought a lot about this stuff, and I have some strong opinions. I truly believe any man who reads this article can improve his attractiveness by 3 points in the next 6 months by simply following along.

In reality, maximizing your looks is much simpler and safer - it just takes time and effort. You have to learn what looks good, experiment, and iterate over months to get things perfect.

So what I’ve done is compiled a list of only the hardest hitting strategies for maximizing your looks (in a way that appeals to the female gaze). And even more importantly, I’ve ranked them based on multiple factors, including how big the impact is and especially how quickly you can start seeing results.

I’ve used these exact recommendations to completely change my own life, and also recommended these same things to the thousands of guys I’ve helped completely transform their dating app lives, and I’m giving you absolutely everything here - not gatekeeping anything.

Without further ado:

Step 1. Fix your hair.

Many guys have terrible hairstyles for their face. More than half of men suffer from genetic balding (androgenic alopecia). For one reason or another, hair is not a strong point for many guys.

This is really bad news, because I can tell you from both personal experience and empirical evidence that hair is one of the most common *attractions *women have for men.

So how do you fix your hair?

Address balding

First and foremost, if you are experiencing any amount of thinning (meaning your hair seems less thick than it used to), stop everything you are doing and begin hair loss prevention immediately. If you notice thinning, that means you are already in the danger zone. Hair loss doesn’t become noticeable until you’ve already lost a ton of hair.

I’ve gone through this firsthand. When I first noticed my hair thinning, I tried buzzing it and then shaving it all off, just to see if I could live with the results of not preventing hairless. After all, if you do any amount of research into hairless prevention techniques, you are destined to come across tons of scary stuff about side effects (particularly impotence and depression).

The reality is much less scary. The overwhelming majority of guys experience absolutely no side effects (or very benign ones), and the benefits *far outweigh *the risks. Medications like finasteride and minoxidil are considered so safe that you can typically acquire them using Telehealth platforms like Hims.

If your hair is already too far gone (you have a colossal bald spot), then the next best thing you can do is shave it all off. Avoid the middle-aged dad look, where a man who is obviously bald is trying to hold on to his hair. It literally reminds women of their dad, and not in a sexy way.

Find your hairstyle and put in effort

Finding the right hairstyle for your exact face, body, and vibe takes some effort. And notice, I said face, body, and vibe.

You cannot simply follow those charges that analyze your face shape and recommend a particular hair style. They *are a good starting point, *but they don’t tell the whole story.

Hair, like every other part of your looks, has the potential to hide your imperfections and highlight your strong points. Let me give you an example:

I personally found that keeping my hair longer on the sides and back, allowing some hair to hang out beneath my ears, really helped to bulk up my neck area. The neck is a notoriously important dimorphic trait (men have thicker necks than women), and despite many years of training, there is only so much width you can add. Having extra hair in the area made a huge difference to my attractiveness.

Some important things you may want to consider:

1. Should I try a new texture with my hair? This could mean getting a perm if you have something like straight Asian hair, or incorporating some sea salt spray or texture powder if you have fine hair that is still malleable enough to curl without a perm.
2. Do I need to be using shampoo every day? I noticed most guys shampoo daily as a habit, but it’s not necessarily the best thing for the look of your hair. You’re stripping away very important oils that make the hair appear naturally more curly.
3. What products should I be using to wash and condition my hair? I’ve seen a night and day difference by finding products that actually work for my hair. And guess what - I’m not going to be sharing them here, because they only work for *my hair, *not yours. If you need help, a good starting point is to head to a Sephora or drug store and send ChatGPT an image of your hair, as well as an image of the products available in the store and a description of your hair issues (too dry, too thin, etc.) and ask him which product would be best suited for you.

Browse instagram and stay up to date on hair trends. By far the biggest mistake men make with their hair is that they simply never change/experiment with it. Many of us keep our hair style the same throughout high school, college, and as we enter the workforce. In reality, you should be constantly re-evaluating your hair style. As I mentioned before, it is one of the most important aspects of appealing to the female gaze.

Step 2. Become a fashion expert

Fashion is also one of the most important aspects of appealing to the female gaze, and similar to your hairstyle, it doesn’t take a ton of time or money to fix it.

The best thing you can do at the start is actually not to head out straight to the clothing stores. I remember doing this myself, and it was a huge mistake. When you feel like getting into fashion as a man, the first thing you want to do is go buy an entirely new wardrobe. You’ll watch a few videos and think that you suddenly understand what clothes you should buy to look good.

That’s not how it works.

It takes some time to develop an eye for fashion. You should study those YouTube videos, but instead of buying new clothes when you go to the store, simply try them on. You’ll save a lot of money, because chance are you don’t actually know what looks good on you. So if you buy the first thing you like, there’s a good chances you’ll later find a similar shirt that fits much better, and the first one will end up in the trash.

When it comes to fashion, fit is the most important thing. And I don’t mean tight-fitting.

Relaxed fit clothing is considerably more trendy now, and I’d highly recommend going in that direction (even if you are muscular). I myself am quite muscular and used to fall into the trap of constantly buying well-fitted clothing.



I later realized this is a mistake. Women don’t need to see every crevice of your muscles. It’s actually much more attractive to give off a *hint of muscularity *than it is to try and show off in full detail. Have you ever heard the phrase “leave something to the imagination?” It does wonders with women. Let them imagine how you look underneath those clothes.

Find shirts that fit well around the shoulders, and pants that sit nice and straight (AKA have a nice silhouette). I’ve had countless women tell me they don’t like pants that are too tight on men, and this seems to be a common trend in the modern day.

If you aren’t sure where to start, I’d recommend looking into the old money trends of 2024-2025. These are timeless clothing styles (polos, linen, khakis) that work well in a multitude of occasions and don’t look too try-hard (as long as you don’t go over the top with scarfs and jumpers). Keep it simple, make sure it fits, and keep it relaxed.

Bonus: what do if you’re a bigger guy

Layers. Don’t dress in just a single layer of clothing. It’s pretty easy to do this in winter, but even in the summer time it is possible to layer by pairing a thin t-shirt or tank top with a breezy linen shirt unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up. Stick with darker colors as well (opt for navy instead of white).

When you add layers, it shifts the focus of the outfit away from the details of your body and more to the overall shape and composition of the fit. As long as each individual layer fits properly, you can create an amazing silhouette that masks the unfavorable shape of your body. And contrary to popular belief, this is NOT a form of catfishing. This is simply working with what you have and making the most of it for the time being!

Wildcard: Glasses

One of the best things I ever did for my attractiveness is switching to wearing contacts full time.

I prefer glasses. They are more comfortable. But the simple reality is, glasses do *not *look the most attractive on me, and that is also going to be the case for the majority of guys.

I once heard someone say: “you already know you look worse with glasses, otherwise why would you take them off before taking a group photo?”

And that’s 100% true. I always felt a desire to pull my glasses off before taking a photo without even realizing why I was doing it. So why would I wear them around all the time if I want to look my best? And god forbid, why would I wear them in my dating profile pictures?

It makes no sense. Try switching to contacts, and opt for daily contacts if you are having a hard time adjusting. It’s okay to switch to glasses when you’re at home at night. By that point, my girlfriend actually finds them cute (she tells me I look like a professor). She probably wouldn’t be my girlfriend if I wore them all the time though!

Step 3. Optimal facial hair grooming

It surprises me how many guys get this wrong, because it seems so simple… And yet I was someone who *also got it wrong for a long time. *I realized this when looking at my passport and license photos.

In my passport photo, I am clean shaven and look like a baby. In my license photo, the exact opposite - I have a wild man’s full beard, completely unkempt looking. In my defense, it was during COVID.

It took a lot of experimentation, but I eventually found the perfect facial hair style that suits me. And once again, it comes back to analyzing your facial and body composition as a whole, and choosing a style that best compliments you. For me, that’s is about a 6mm stubble/short beard.

Whatever you do, here are some hard rules:

1. It MUST be well groomed. The longer it is, the more important this is. But realistically, everyone should be grooming their facial hair every single day.
2. If you have a very strong lower third (jaw area), avoid facial hair. It will likely add too much extra visual weight to the area, throwing off your proportions.
3. The inverse is also true - if your lower third is lacking (even slightly), a short beard can do wonders. If it’s lacking significantly, go even longer.
4. If you can’t grow a beard, go to great lengths to make sure you’re completely shaved and free of ingrown hairs.

Also, pick up a boar brush and brush your beard daily. Even though mine is very short (6mm), I find the daily brushing to be very useful. Additionally, use some oil to make your beard softer if it’s on the longer side, and pick up an eye brow tool or straight razer to line up your beard well.

Most importantly: DO NOT cut your beard incorrectly. Way too many guys go for a bizarre chin strap style. In reality, you should make sure you beard is *hiding *the “chin fat” under your chin, not running a line through it. This is very important. Refer to this video if you need more help on this point.

Step 4. Practice modeling

This is NOT something you would see traditionally included in a list of looksmaxxing advice, but it is extremely important to your looks nonetheless.

You need to learn *how to look *attractive.

If you don’t, you will look awkward in photos - even if you are objectively handsome.

Once again, this is something that doesn’t take a ton of time, just a little bit of learning and practice, but makes a pretty big difference.

So how does it work?

Models know how to pose. They know how to use angles, and how to soften them for photos. They know what facial expressions work for them. They know how to lift their cheekbones by holding back a smile, and how to slightly squint their eyes in a way that isn’t too obvious.

You should learn how to do those things too, so you can look good in photos. You need to remember: photos are lies. I talk about this extensively. A photo is not a real representation of you. It is actually a heavily distorted representation of how you look at one moment in time. There are good photos and bad photos, and if you want to take good photos more often, you need to learn how to pose and how to work angles.

Of course, if you don’t handle your baseline looks above, then it’s not going to matter much. In fact, it could even backfire and you could end up looking too try hard. So handle your business above first, and then come back here.

Step 5. A realistic approach to the gym

Getting to a reasonable body fat percentage and building a bit of muscle definition is hugely important. It also takes a lot of time and effort. Weighing all of those factors, I’m placing the gym in the last slot. It is obviously worthy of being in the top 5, but the actual time it takes and amount of learning and experience required to get good results means that you won’t get as much of an impact in the short term.

But don’t let that deter you. Yes, if you are just starting in the gym, you aren’t going to be jacked any time soon. However, even just going to the gym a few times can really start to produce some noticeable results, particularly if you are already lean. This is because muscle tissue becomes inflamed after a hard workout (particularly if you prioritize a pump by working in higher rep ranges). All of that extra blood going to the muscles can leave a lasting impact.

If you are already on the higher end of body fat, prioritize body recomposition and eating a high protein diet while restricting your calories to lose weight. This is referred to as body recomposition, and it’s where I found myself when I first started going to the gym. As expected, I was actually able to build a very considerable amount of muscle while being in a deficit the entire time.

When it comes to what muscles to focus on, the answer is: it depends on your body’s starting point. That being said, the most important muscles for attractiveness, in order, are:

1. Arms (triceps and biceps - visible in a t-shirt, and usually one of the first muscles women notice IF they are big)
2. Shoulders (slighty overrated in my opinion - many people will put this muscle group first, but I think many people conflate shoulders as an attractiveness queue with things like how wide your frame is. That being said, you definitely want to be doing plenty of lateral raises to add as much size to your lateral delts as possible, as this area directly affects your V taper ratios)
3. Chest (in particular, focus on incline pressing to build a well-rounded upper and lower chest. Women love playing with a big man chest, and it is a hugely attractive muscle because it will start poking through your shirt when it’s well developed)
4. Neck (a thick neck universally makes a man more attractive, and simply deadlifting isn’t enough unless you are on gear. Focus on neck curls and shrugs, start off slow and eventually build up to heavy volume)

Finally: Address any underlying health conditions.

There are other strategies to maximize your looks that take much longer than these things, but these things can get you 90% of the way there.

It’s impossible to overstate how much the perfect haircut can contribute to improving your appearance. But most guys completely underestimate how much effort it takes to find that perfect haircut. You need to experiment. Sometimes the perfect haircut on paper doesn’t look as good as you expected. Go back to the drawing board and try something else next month.

If a man gets his hairstyle, fashion, facial hair, and body on point, and learns how to move like a model, then there is absolutely *no need *for any more extreme techniques to improve looks.

Of course, there are a few topics that weren’t discussed here, and I actually think they can be summed up pretty simply:

If you are suffering from any visible medical conditions, you should consult with your doctor and attempt to find a solution.

If you have acne, consult with a dermatologist and aim to identify the causes.

If you are starting to develop wrinkles, talk to a dermatologist about potentially starting tretinoin (avoid any other over-the-counter junk that doesn’t really do anything).

If your teeth are yellow but otherwise healthy, get a quick whitening or veneers.

If your teeth are visibly decaying, talk to a dentist about crowns. They can also help fix small misalignments. For larger misalignments, you may need to consult an orthodontist and consider starting treatment.

If you’re balding, as mentioned earlier, speak to a doctor about starting finasteride and minoxidil. A hair transplant is an option, but you should start and make sure the medications are sustainable for you first, otherwise a hair transplant will never be a sustainable solution as the non-transplanted hair will continue to fall out.

That’s a good catch-all rule because health IS attractiveness to some degree. So it also goes without saying that: if you are obese, you should lose weight.

I remember reading an article (back when I was also significantly overweight) that stated women would rather date a drug dealer, or convicted criminal, than someone who is overweight. In fact, they would rather date almost anyone than someone who is overweight. It is the worst of the worst negative signals for attractiveness.

If you are overweight, start with simple

This is the 90/10 of looksmaxxing.

It is impossible to understate how much of a difference the above changes can make in your dating life.

It seems like feel-good BS, but it actually works wonders.

As guys, we have to learn to take care of ourselves and pay attention to aesthetics. Nowadays, I notice small details that throw off my attractiveness, like when my hair is getting too long or my beard isn’t perfectly groomed. It sounds stupid, but even a single hair out of place can throw off your appearance.

I dress well every single day, wear contacts instead of glasses, make sure my beard is extremely well groomed, style my hair in a perfect way for my face, smell good, hit the gym 3-5 per week, have good oral hygiene, and move in an attractive, confident way. And the results speak for themselves.