It does nothing to disrupt existing hegemonies of beauty - ones that are fuelled by and propped up by racism and ableism - nor does it dismantle the system that rewards conformity. In many ways, glo-up culture has co-opted the tropes of the body positivity and fat-acceptance movements, with its toxic philosophy often cloaked in the language of taking action to 'love the skin you're in!' But the reality is that glo-up is the most shallow kind of wellbeing phenomenon.
Why? Because it frames our shallow fixation with aesthetics - and extreme aesthetic transformation - as wellness. There's a reason why so many glo-up anecdotes inevitably reference school bullies. Between early years of a society-mandated closet, school bullying, and a position at the bottom of the high school food chain - the best revenge would be the acculturation of hotness and social capital. It comes as no surprise then that gay men are so invested in the cocooning phenomenon of the glo-up.