A new trend is spreading across social media, encouraging people with female anatomy to do something called “vaginamaxxing.” But health experts are warning it could cause serious problems.
Wanting to feel attractive and taking care of one’s appearance is nothing new. Beauty trends have always come and gone, and standards of attractiveness have shifted dramatically throughout history.
But these days, it has gone beyond hairstyles, workouts, or makeup. People are now changing their appearance with everything from fillers to cosmetic surgeries of all kinds.
Across social media, the term “-maxxing” has become attached to different ways of supposedly “enhancing” one’s appearance. “Looksmaxxing,” “Jawmaxxing,” and even “Ballmaxxing” are terms many online users are already familiar with. These trends encourage people to alter their appearance in order to “look their best,” sometimes through methods medical professionals have warned may be dangerous.
Now, doctors are raising concerns about the new “vaginamaxxing” trend, which gained attention after self-described “biohacker” Bryan Johnson shared his partner’s “vaginal microbiome report” on X. According to Tyla, the report showed a “100/100 score,” with Johnson claiming her results ranked in the “top 1% of all vaginas.”
What is “vaginamaxxing”?
The post quickly went viral, drawing reactions and comments. One person reportedly wrote: “Ladies, get on with your vaginamaxxing.”
Another online user added: “If you aren’t vaginamaxxing in 2026 as a woman, what are you even doing?!,” while a third wrote: “Are we vaginamaxxing now?”
Dr. Ravina Bhanot, a women’s health GP and founder of The One Labs, told Tyla that the term is rooted in social media culture – not medicine.
She explained: “It refers to attempts to ‘improve’ the appearance, smell, tightness, grooming or perceived attractiveness of the vulva or vagina with beauty routines, supplements, procedures or products.”
This can include everything from excessive hair removal and whitening or tightening products to obsessive hygiene routines, vaginal steaming, deodorants, supplements, and cosmetic procedures such as labiaplasty.
Can have serious consequences
And Dr. Bhanot is issuing a sharp warning.
“The biggest concern is that it can medicalise normal female anatomy and create unrealistic beauty standards around female genitals,” she explains, noting that female reproductive anatomy naturally varies in labial size and shape, skin color, symmetry, hair distribution, scent, and discharge.
She added that social media and pornography can “distort” perceptions of what is normal, potentially causing women to feel embarrassed about completely healthy anatomy.
“It can also affect women’s mental health, from body anxiety to body dysmorphia or pressure to change normal vulvas just for aesthetics.”
She warned that some procedures and products linked to “vaginamaxxing” can lead to irritation, disruption of the microbiome, infections, burns, and other forms of damage.
“Your body does not need to look like an edited image”
Since the vagina is self-cleaning, doctors say detoxes and extreme cleansing methods are not recommended.
“Water is enough to clean the vagina,” Dr. Bhanot says, adding: “Your body does not need to look like an edited image to be healthy, attractive or normal.
“A healthy vulva can be asymmetrical, have dark pigmentation, have hair, smell and can change with hormones, age or childbirth.”
She also encouraged women with concerns about their vaginal health to speak with a medical professional rather than relying on social media advice.
“If you are not sure about it, what’s normal, talk to your doctor – they have examined hundreds of women and can tell you what’s normal and what’s not.
“If you have pain, itching, abnormal discharge, bleeding or persistent concerns, see a qualified doctor or gynaecologist, not TikTok.”
