What Is Lookism & How Does It Affect Society?

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Therapist Rebecca Tenzer, MA explains why lookism is problematic & how to address it

Co-authored by Amber Crain

Last Updated: February 2, 2026 Fact Checked

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Lookism Meaning

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Why It’s Harmful

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Origin

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Expert Tips for Addressing Lookism

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Final Thoughts

“Lookism” may sound like an innocent term, but it describes a deeply pervasive and harmful type of discrimination based on physical appearance. But what exactly is this prejudice all about, and how does it affect individuals (and society as a whole)? We’ll explore all of those questions and more in the article below, with help from therapist Rebecca Tenzer, MA. Read on to discover the meaning of lookism, why it’s harmful, and where the term came from.

Meaning of Lookism

Therapist Rebecca Tenzer, MA says lookism is discrimination based on a person’s physical appearance. This results in unattractive people being disadvantaged and treated unfairly, while attractive people enjoy more advantages and opportunities. Lookism is unethical, widespread, and can impact a person’s well-being.

Section 1 of 5:

What does “lookism” mean?

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Lookism is unfair treatment because a person is unattractive. According to Tenzer, “Lookism is a form of discrimination based on physical appearance and how closely someone aligns with socially constructed standards of beauty and acceptability.”^{[1]
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Rebecca Tenzer, MAT, MA, LCSW, CCTP, CGCS, CCATP, CCFP
Therapist

Expert Interview} Discrimination based on someone's physical appearance can (and does) happen in almost every social setting, including relationships, school, the workplace, etc. Despite being a widespread problem, lookism isn’t discussed as much as other types of discrimination.^{[2]
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- Unfortunately, there are no legal protections against lookism, despite its ability to significantly impact someone’s life.
- Tenzer explains that beauty standards often reflect norms related to body size, age, ability, race, religion, socioeconomic status, and gender expression.^{[3]
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- For instance, in Western culture, Tenzer says traits like blond hair, blue eyes, lighter features, thin physiques, large breasts, facial symmetry, and long hair are upheld as “the ideal.” These features are often portrayed in media ads.^{[4]
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- Today, social media is one of the main drivers behind beauty ideals, as well as potentially harmful concepts like “looksmaxxing,” which began in online communities.^{[5]
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- Lookism is a proven bias backed by research. Attractive criminals tend to get lighter sentences. Students are treated better and workers are given more opportunities if they’re conventionally good-looking. Research even shows that newborn babies tend to prefer attractive faces over unattractive ones, which raises the uncomfortable question—is lookism ingrained at birth?^{[6]
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Meet the wikiHow Expert

Rebecca Tenzer, MA is a therapist and the owner and head clinician at Astute Counseling Services. She has over 18 years of clinical and educational experience in the mental health field.

Section 2 of 5:

Why Lookism is Harmful

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Lookism is harmful because people are unfairly denied opportunities. Tenzer explains that people who don’t meet the narrow standards of beauty often experience discrimination and exclusion from opportunities. On the other hand, she says people who fit the ideals are more likely to receive social, professional, and economic advantages.^{[7]
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Rebecca Tenzer, MAT, MA, LCSW, CCTP, CGCS, CCATP, CCFP
Therapist

Expert Interview} They experience “pretty privilege” and are often given better opportunities based solely on their appearance rather than their experience, skills, or personalities.^{[8]
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Research source} Discrimination based on appearance is unethical, unfair, and deeply damaging because:
- It reinforces and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Tenzer notes that it can reinforce forms of oppression like racism, sexism, ableism, and ageism by favoring bodies and features tied to dominant cultural norms (e.g., skin color, facial structure, waist size, etc.).^{[9]
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- It can negatively influence self-esteem and self-worth, says Tenzer. As she explains, it can reinforce the belief that self-worth is conditional on having an appearance that fits a mold.^{[10]
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- It can negatively impact mental health and well-being, notes Tenzer. With constant social media and marketing reminders, she says it can contribute to body shame, anxiety, eating disorders, and depression.^{[11]
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- It results in economic wage gaps and fewer employment opportunities, says Tenzer.^{[12]
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- It can limit access to quality healthcare, educational opportunities, and even legal resources, says Tenzer.^{[13]
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- It’s pervasive, yet there are no legal protections against it.
- It’s hard to prove because attractiveness is subjective and varies across cultures.
- It limits a person’s freedom and autonomy in relationships, careers, and society.^{[14]
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Lookism is behind harmful modern concepts like looksmaxxing. Looksmaxxing—which means improving your appearance to gain better social status—is deeply rooted in lookism. Critics say looksmaxxing creates unhealthy habits, places too much importance on appearance, and can contribute to a negative self-image. Just as an example, the looksmaxxing community uses a controversial scoring system called the PSL scale to rate attractiveness.
- The lowest score on the PSL scale is called “subhuman,” which gives you an idea of how harsh and discriminatory these judgments can be.
- The looksmaxxing community uses other harmful terms, as well, like LTN (low-tier normie) and MTN (mid-tier normie), to describe “average” attractiveness. Categorizing people in “normie tiers” seems inherently negative and unhealthy.

Section 3 of 5:

Origin of the Term “Lookism”

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The term “lookism” was coined in the late 1970s. “Lookism” first appeared in the Washington Post Magazine in 1978, and dictionaries began recognizing the term around the year 2000. The concept dates back to the late 19th century, though, when several major American cities introduced what became known as “ugly laws,” essentially banning people with physical disfigurements, diseases, and deformities from appearing in public because they were “unpleasant to look at.” Shockingly, the ugly laws persisted into the 1970s until people fought to overturn them.^{[15]
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- The fat acceptance movement of the 70s, which protested societal discrimination against overweight individuals, also helped to popularize the term and concept of lookism.
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Lookism is rooted in the marketing and beauty industries. Tenzer says that the media and marketing industries and the beauty industry both profit from having a set beauty standard. She explains that beauty and fashion are often forms of exclusion. For instance, makeup products often don’t include a wide range of skin tones, and clothing isn’t made to fit larger or fuller figures.^{[16]
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- Tenzer notes that the beauty standard is usually unrealistic, which sets a tone of disappointment that people feel in themselves.^{[17]
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- Tenzer explains that these standards create power structures that define what “professional” or “attractive” is in a socially constructed way. For instance, certain hairstyles are discriminated against in the workplace because they are deemed “unprofessional.”^{[18]
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Section 4 of 5:

Expert Tips for Addressing Lookism

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We spoke to Tenzer for her tips on how society can address lookism. First and foremost, she says it’s important to call it out when you see it to help create change. Publicly state whenever you see it happening (for instance, comment on a social media post) and explain that the illusion of perfection is unrealistic. Tenzer shares more tips for addressing lookism below:^{[19]
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- Redefine anti-discrimination efforts to include appearance-based biases. For example, call out your school or workplace if they don’t allow people to have braids or dreadlocks because they feel it is “unprofessional.” Tenzer says, “This is direct discrimination against an entire culture of people who may wear these popular styles.”^{[20]
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- Teach media literacy and body diversity for all genders. Tenzer recommends starting education at an early age, and teaching people that healthy bodies aren’t one size fits all: they can look a variety of different ways.^{[21]
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- Increase the authentic representation of diverse bodies. For instance, if you work in publications, media, or marketing, Tenzer recommends featuring people of different ages and abilities.^{[22]
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- Avoid commenting on people’s appearances. Instead, Tenzer recommends shifting the cultural norm toward valuing people’s character, integrity, intelligence, or success.^{[23]
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- Use body-neutral, trauma-informed approaches. Tenzer notes this can be in healthcare, education, social media, and mental health practices. She says, “A ‘healthy at every size’ mentality makes everyone feel safer.”^{[24]
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- Spread the word and get other people involved. As Tenzer explains, lookism ties self-worth to an unrealistic set of standards. These standards are shaped by power, privilege, opportunity, and access, rather than merit. So, reducing lookism requires cultural awareness and sensitivity, structural and societal change, and collective accountability from everyone.^{[25]
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Section 5 of 5:

Final Thoughts

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Judging people based on their physical appearance is unethical and unfair, and as a society, we should strive to protect individuals from this treatment. Harmful ideas based on unrealistic beauty ideals, like looksmaxxing and the PSL scale, are perpetuated by lookism. Beauty is subjective and cannot be measured, and attractiveness (or lack thereof) should not affect a person’s perceived skills or value. The way you look doesn’t define who you are!