In his recent documentary, Ben Zand explores the world of “looksmaxxing,” where people pursue physical enhancement, sometimes through extreme measures, to appear more attractive.
A man known as ‘LT’ is gradually relearning how to walk after enduring an intense leg-lengthening surgery. He spent four months in an orthopedic clinic in Poland undergoing this controversial but legal procedure, investing £65,000 to add three to four inches to his height, aiming to reach over six feet and improve his life prospects.
To achieve his goal, the surgeon broke two of his body’s largest bones and inserted metal rods. LT described the pain as a “boiling hot water sensation” and said it was 100 times worse than anything imaginable.
Documentarian Ben Zand flew to Warsaw to understand LT’s motivation for making such an extreme choice, as part of his work for Channel 4’s Untold: The Toxic World of Perfect Looks, a documentary examining the world of looksmaxxing.
The term looksmaxxing first emerged on incel messaging boards in 2014, later finding its way onto mainstream platforms like TikTok in the 2020s. It refers to men who try to enhance their appearance, often using drastic methods.
This includes leg-lengthening surgeries, hitting their faces with hammers to alter the jawline, and injecting aqualyx into their faces to reduce fat deposits.
After speaking extensively with LT and other men involved in looksmaxxing, Ben says he now understands why these men believe that improving their appearance will lead to a better life.
“As a documentary maker, regardless of someone’s views, I always try to find a way to understand them,” Ben told Metro. “These men, who are usually in their early twenties, just want to be happy. They want someone to date, which is totally normal. That’s something most people want, and I can relate to that. I understand how it begins,” he continued.
“They just happen to click on the wrong forum, and the looksmaxxing world leads them to a drastic endpoint.”
The theory behind looksmaxxing is that there’s a scientific way to achieve a perfect life. Men believe if they have the right height, jaw shape, body, and eye shape, they’ll attract women and find success.
Unfortunately, this mindset often includes a racist element, where European white skin is considered superior. Personality is disregarded entirely.
During his research, Ben allowed a looksmaxxer to edit a photo of his face to show how he could “improve” it. This affected him more than expected, deepening his understanding of how men can get caught up in this world.
“As a kid, I used to absolutely hate my nose, but I got over it,” Ben says. “I learned to accept my appearance, and everything was fine—until the guy started analyzing my face and pointing out flaws.”
“He told me I had saggy eyes,” Ben recalled with a laugh. “It made me start to fixate on it, which just shows how powerful it is. Once you start focusing on these small things, it’s hard not to see them. You want to do something about it. It’s easy to see how the spiral happens. It’s not difficult for people to get drawn in.”
Leg-lengthening surgeries are still relatively rare, but they’re reportedly increasing in popularity, with hundreds undergoing this invasive procedure each year.The process is legal, though controversial, and offered in private clinics worldwide.
“The leg-lengthening part of looksmaxxing is just wild for so many reasons. It’s incredibly expensive and is one of the most serious surgeries,” Ben Zand explained. The procedure can range in cost from £15,000 to £150,000.
To achieve the desired height, surgeons make incisions in the leg, break the bone, and insert a rod and pins. A device then gradually moves the bone apart. Ben said, “This is all for a few extra inches in height.
You never know if you’ll recover fully or be able to walk again. It’s very dangerous.” Recovery takes about six months. People like LT believe that those few inches will bring more business opportunities, higher income, and better relationships, so they take the risk.
Alex, who went from 5ft 7in to 5ft 10in after a four-hour surgery, feels more confident but added, “No one should feel the need to do this.” He believes that society’s view of height needs to change.
Over four months, the rods in his legs were lengthened by one millimeter daily. “I went to therapy to discuss body image issues, but it always leads to, ‘Oh, you have body dysmorphia?’” he told NBC. “It’s almost the opposite. I’m painfully aware of my body’s reality, and I wanted to change it.”
Daniel Farbod, who felt suicidal over his 5ft 7in height, went to a specialist clinic in Turkey. “I think others should know how hard the surgery and recovery are—it was the toughest thing I’ve ever done, but it changed my life,” he explained to The Independent.
After surgery, he was left wheelchair-bound, a risk he was aware of beforehand. Though his recovery was expected to take three months, it took five due to complications, including nerve issues that required re-breaking his leg. It took three additional months before he could stand.
“I went through so many sleepless nights, trauma, and hardship to finally reach my goal of being 5ft 10in,” he said.
It’s not only men who choose this surgery. Elaine Foo underwent leg-lengthening surgery to add three inches to her 5ft 2in height, hoping to increase her chances and beauty. She paid around £50,000 for the procedure in a London clinic.
Unfortunately, the nail in her left leg broke through her femur, causing one leg to reach the 7cm target while the other didn’t. This led to a curved spine and constant pain.
Eight years, five surgeries, and three bone grafts later, Elaine says she’s still recovering. She has mobility issues and suffers from PTSD.
When asked if she’d have done it knowing the outcome, Elaine replied, “I would say a definite, ‘No, thank you very much.’”
Ben found himself trying to convince these men of a different reality, though their distrust of mainstream media made it challenging.
“They believe if they’re not 6ft, they can’t get married or have a family. I’m not 6ft, but I have a long-term partner and a child. There’s plenty of proof that contradicts their beliefs, but they won’t accept it,” Ben explained.
“It’s a ‘sausage fest,’” he says of the toxic incel forums. “It’s men talking to other men about what women want, which makes no sense. There’s an element of misogyny because they won’t listen to women.”
Talking to men, Ben was shocked to find that looksmaxxing has become less niche, with billions of views on TikTok and YouTube. “A lot of it mirrors what women have dealt with for years—pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards. Now these men are pushing it on themselves, creating an impossible standard,” Ben says.
The trend went mainstream partly because there’s money to be made. Looksmaxxing influencers like Austin Wayne, Kareem Shami, Jordan Barrett, and Francisco Lachowski profit from men’s insecurities. Vulnerable men pay for courses on attractiveness or even for their appearance to be rated.
Ben has become a father since starting the project, which changed his perspective. He is now more empathetic with those he interviews. “I’ve become softer,” he says, and he thinks about how internet pressures could affect his son someday.
“I’ve seen it many times—a young, lonely kid who doesn’t know himself yet can get pulled down a dark path with extreme beliefs,” Ben observed.
Also Read:
“Now I find myself thinking, ‘How do I show my son he’s loved?’ Many of these men probably just needed consistent affection as children.”
With his documentaries, Ben aims to bring less-discussed issues to light to encourage open conversations and solutions. He hopes for a future where people are better educated on how to navigate the internet critically, understanding trustworthy sources.
“Documentaries can bring attention to these topics. I hope some young men see mine and think, ‘Maybe this isn’t something I should just dive into,’” Ben says.
