Warning: This article contains mentions of medical procedures that some people may find disturbing
You probably don't need a doctor to tell you that smashing yourself with a hammer isn't an advisable way to get your 'dream' look, but as we continue to be obsessed with our appearance, it's a trend that keeps being mentioned.
From eating Tide Pods to hot chip challenges, there are plenty of TikTok trends out there that you should absolutely not be trying for yourselves. Still, as influencers claim to undertake more and more controversial procedures and boast about their results, some people are in danger of being swayed by these videos generated for clout.
Posting on Instagram, controversial streamer Bradan Peters, aka Clavicular, showed off his 'ascension' with before and after pictures of his apparent looksmaxxing.
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Peters is controversial due to his looksmaxxing content, discussions surrounding the use of anabolic steroids, and selling access to a looksmaxxing course known as the 'Clavicular System'.
For those who don't know, looksmaxxing is a divisive method of boosting your own physical attractiveness, with the term first appearing on incel messaging boards as far back as 2010.
It's made a resurgence more recently on platforms like TikTok, with the simple method of softmaxxing (using common body care routines) evolving into more severe 'hardmaxxing' methods like getting implants, lengthening surgeries, and 'edging' to theoretically increase testosterone.
There are more terms appearing by the day, with starvemaxxing, roidmaxxing, and bone smashing being some of the most controversial.
Over on social media, Clavicular claimed to have taken a hammer to his own face to get an enhanced jawline through bone smashing. Although there are fears that easily influenced viewers will undertake bone smashing, it's largely been debunked as misinformation.
This makes a post like Clavicular's more concerning, especially if someone thinks using a hammer on themselves can achieve the same look.
Dematologist Andrea Suarez has shared her own video warning about bone smashing, discussing a clip where Clavicular says he underwent the procedure.
Here, Peters maintained that he gave himself 'small microfractures', with his bones supposedly growing back stronger. Describing the grim methodology in his own words, Clavicular said: "I'll just lay down on my bed and brace my head so there's no CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), and then smash my zygomas so that they grow."
Suarez quickly took Peters to task, saying: "I don't recommend hitting yourself in the face with a hammer."
She reiterated that while the idea is that "the mechanical stress from the blunt trauma is going to build stronger bones," that's not quite how it works.
Even though mechanical stressors from the likes of walking are said to play a vital role in strengthening bones, the PSA reminds us that blunt trauma is not the way to do it.
Suarez continued: "That's simply not going to build up stronger bones. Furthermore, this can leave you disfigured, potentially requiring surgeries that cause scarring."
She says that while she's not necessarily anti-lookmaxxing, she's not sure when Clavicular's bone smashing took place, while others in his comments maintain that his face is the result of different surgeries.
Interestingly, a 2023 article from Forbes claimed that videos on bone smashing techniques had been viewed 267.7 million times on TikTok, although a February 2026 search shows no signs of any. Does this mean the platform has removed this kind of content?
As far back as the 1800s, German anatomist and surgeon Julius Wolff created Wolff’s Law as the idea that bones will adapt when loads are applied to them. Then again, it's been criticized as an oversimplification of the human body, especially in an area like the face, where various other tissues mean smashing yourself with a hammer is the last thing a medical professional is likely to recommend.