Mom Is Told Her Son Is ‘Pheromone Maxxing’ After He Refused To Shower For 10 Days
New Africa / ShutterstockA desperate mother reached her wits’ end after her son refused to shower for 10 days, and his body odor became overpowering. However, the boy claimed that he was not smelly and was simply going through the process of “pheromone maxxing.”
Other mothers were, unfortunately, familiar with the process since their own sons were engaging in it, and they were begging them to stop. Sadly, in a world filled with looksmaxxing, a social media trend where young men go to extremes in an effort to look as handsome as possible, these maxxing trends are likely here to stay for the time being.
A mother turned to the internet after her teen son refused to shower for 10 days and explained he was ‘pheromone maxxing.’
In a TikTok video posted to the account @fluffdumpster, which the mother and her teen son manage, the mom revealed that she had been struggling to get the boy to shower. As the teen entered the tenth day of no showering, the desperate mother asked other parents for advice. “I don’t know what to do anymore,” the mom admitted, rubbing the bridge of her nose, likely attempting to block out the smell.
Even the dog appeared to be overwhelmed by the boy’s stench as he whined in the background. To give viewers a glimpse of just how filthy her son had become, the mom panned the camera over to him. His hair was so greasy it looked as if he had just gone for a swim.
Many viewers told the mother that her son was engaging in something called pheromone maxxing. The process involves humans choosing not to wash themselves so that they can use their natural pheromones to attract others.
Pheromones are chemicals that animals and humans use to communicate and are released through sweat, urine, semen, breast milk, and other bodily fluids. Science has not determined if humans actually use these chemicals in the ways many people have recently adopted, as a means of attraction. Some people believe that pheromones will draw others closer to them and create stronger chemical bonds between themselves and their partners if they already have one.
In a separate video, the teenager argued in favor of pheromone maxxing, claiming that he does not, in fact, 'stink' even if others believe so.
“I may not bathe, but I have natural pheromones, so it doesn’t matter,” he said in the video. However, others clearly were not fans of his natural pheromone scent and begged him to take a shower. “Please try showermaxxing,” one person encouraged. “That smell would be bacteria, not pheromones,” another user commented.
The boy branded his critics as bullies and doubled down on his convictions. He backed up his argument for pheromone maxxing by claiming that one of his peers told him they “prefer” the smell of body odor to the scent of men’s cologne.
However, he was forced to break his pheromone maxxing habit on Mother’s Day when his friend, Tammy, gave him a “bucket bath” to ease his pungent body odor. “My pheromones are gone again,” the clearly unhappy teen said in a separate video, bashing those who had an “issue” with his pheromone-maxxing journey.
The teen's misguided beliefs could impact his health beyond his body odor.
According to VeryWell Mind, teens who are going through puberty should aim to shower at least once a day. Not showering does not have the powers of attraction that the teen may think it does. Just a few days of refusing to shower can lead to the buildup of dead skin cells and sweat, which can clog pores and trigger acne breakouts.
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Going months without showering can lead to dermatitis neglecta, a condition in which patches of grime, sweat, and dirt form on the skin. This can result in rashes and growths on the skin that will fester until treated. Not to mention that your overall scent will become unbearable for those around you.
It is especially important for males who are going through puberty to maintain hygiene. This consists of showering at least once a day, washing their faces before bed, and keeping up with their laundry to ensure that they are clean.
There is no scientific evidence that your body’s natural scent will attract others. In fact, if you haven’t showered in days, it may just have the exact opposite effect. In fact, staying on top of your cleanliness and having good hygiene will make you even more attractive. Just ask any teenage girl who has ever fallen for a teenage boy!
Megan Quinn is a writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.
