Braden Peters, known online as Clavicular, from New Jersey, has become a global figure of controversy. At 20, he possesses an attractive physique with measurements often described as the "golden ratio." However, achieving this appearance led Peters down a path of self-abuse, which began when he was 14 years old.

Braden Peters possesses an attractive appearance but is not happy. Photo: @clavicular0/Instagram

Braden Peters possesses an attractive appearance but is not happy. Photo: @clavicular0/Instagram

Instead of engaging in typical teenage activities, Peters illegally purchased testosterone and other muscle-building and fat-loss drugs online. His obsession with achieving a masculine, angular face led him to "bone smashing," a gruesome practice part of the "looksmaxxing" trend on TikTok. This method involves participants using hard objects, even hammers, to strike their facial bones, driven by the misguided belief that the bones will heal to create sharper, more defined angles.

When his parents discovered his activities and tried to intervene, Peters did not stop; instead, he plunged deeper into his obsession. He viewed altering his appearance as a critical "promotion" in life, believing that physical beauty alone determined a person's worth.

Peters quickly gained notoriety on social media due to his shocking and extreme content, reportedly earning up to 100,000 USD monthly. Yet, this sudden wealth was accompanied by irreversible health and mental tragedies. He later admitted to suffering infertility from years of steroid abuse. To maintain his weight and stay alert during livestreams that often lasted dozens of hours, he resorted to powerful stimulants, which kept his body and mind in a state of extreme stress.

Braden Peters shows off his balanced, masculine body. Photo: @clavicular0/Instagram

Braden Peters shows off his balanced, masculine body. Photo: @clavicular0/Instagram

Beyond the physical pain, Peters' worldview became severely distorted. He began to perceive women merely as "objects to conquer" and consistently engaged in outrageous behaviors to retain his audience. Though he initially sought beauty for social acceptance, Peters eventually faced rejection from the online community due to a series of legal scandals and hateful statements.

Despite realizing his dream of appearing on prestigious fashion runways in New York, Peters confessed he was not happy. "I wish I had normal experiences," Peters shared after his expulsion from university for possessing banned substances. "Now, I will never live the life of a normal young man again."

"Looksmaxxing" is a trend that has rapidly spread across social media platforms like TikTok, particularly appealing to male teenagers. Its objective is to enhance one's appearance to achieve the "golden ratio." This trend is commonly categorized into two levels:

Softmaxxing (safe optimization): This approach focuses on positive lifestyle changes, such as going to the gym, practicing skincare, changing hairstyles, updating clothing styles, or performing facial exercises.

Hardmaxxing (extreme optimization): This level pushes into dangerous territory, where participants disregard their health by abusing cosmetic surgery, using banned substances (like steroids), or engaging in self-destructive practices such as "bone smashing"—using hard objects to hit facial bones to create masculine angles.

Psychological experts warn that while these trends often begin with a desire to boost self-confidence, most "Hardmaxxing" practices contribute to body dysmorphia syndrome, leading many teenagers to severe physical and psychological trauma.

Nhat Minh (According to Guardian, NYTimes, SCMP)