Softmax vs hardmax in one paragraph
Softmaxxing covers skincare, haircuts, beard shape, sleep, diet, training, posture, clothing, and similar reversible habits. Hardmaxxing refers to surgical or medical interventions. GlowUp is built for softmax: it measures presentation and supports routines. It does not provide surgical advice. If you are considering clinical procedures, that conversation belongs with qualified professionals — not an app scoreboard.
Week 0: baseline like an adult
Download GlowUp, set skin type, take a bare daylight selfie at eye level with hair off the face. Read strengths first, then the HIGH improvement area. Note your Aura Score band and the five dimensions. Do not rescan for the sake of dopamine; the cooldown exists to protect you from yourself. Screenshotting results for a group chat is optional and usually unhelpful — privacy is a feature.
Block 1 (weeks 1–4): skin and sleep
If Skin Quality is HIGH — and for beginners it often is — run the generated AM/PM routine every day. Protect the streak. Add nothing except what the barcode scanner clears for your profile. Fix sleep window as a co-equal project; under-slept skin reads worse regardless of serums. Rescan at the end of the block under the same protocol. A rising Skin Quality trend is the win condition; overall Aura Score usually follows.
Block 2 (weeks 5–8): grooming and presentation
With skin stabilising, spend a week on grooming that changes how contour and symmetry read: hair off landmarks for scans, beard line intentional, brows even, glasses sitting straight. Take one protocol scan after a major cut or reshape so history brackets the change. This block is cheap and fast — do not skip it because it feels less “advanced” than obscure exercises.
Block 3 (weeks 9–12): contour cadence
If Contour still sits well below Facial Structure and body composition is a goal, run a monthly contour check during your cut or recomp — not daily face inspections. Keep sodium and sleep ordinary before check-ins. Pair with the body-comp guide. Softmaxxing is cumulative: skin clarity plus deliberate grooming plus gradual leanness changes photos more than any single viral tip. After ninety days, use before/after compare as the report card, then pick the next HIGH priority.
