India, Sept. 2 -- Pheromone maxxing is putting a rather unusual spin on the internet's obsession with self-improvement. The social-media trend encourages some young men to skip showers, avoid deodorant and preserve their natural body odour, based on the belief that doing so can increase attraction.

The trend is part of the wider "maxxing" culture, which includes online communities built around attempts to optimise appearance, attractiveness and other aspects of the self. Parents describe pheromone maxxing as an offshoot of this broader culture, alongside trends such as looksmaxxing and smellmaxxing.

According to recent coverage by VICE, pheromone maxxing involves the belief that allowing natural body odour to build up can help a person ...