Frequently Asked Questions

1.What is SoftMaxx AI?

SoftMaxx AI is an AI-powered face analysis web app at softmaxx.io. You upload a selfie; the free tier shows your overall score, the four pillar bands, and your single top priority. The AI scores your face on 11 facial categories from 0 to 10, and the paid tiers turn that into a personalized softmaxxing protocol: Pro at $19.99/mo and Elite at $39.99/mo unlock the full 11-category breakdown, the full protocol, and the full coaching system.

2.What is softmaxxing?

Softmaxxing is the practice of improving your appearance through non-surgical, evidence-based interventions: skincare, hair, body composition, posture, dental hygiene, sleep, and grooming. It is the gentler, sustainable counterpart to looksmaxxing. The point is compound gains from small daily habits, not invasive procedures.

3.How is softmaxxing different from looksmaxxing?

Looksmaxxing is the umbrella term used on r/looksmaxxing and looksmaxxing.org for any appearance optimization, including aggressive interventions like bone smashing, mewing, and surgery. Softmaxxing is the non-invasive subset: skincare, fitness, grooming, posture, and habits. SoftMaxx AI focuses exclusively on the soft path because the data behind it is stronger and the risks are lower.

4.Who is SoftMaxx AI for?

SoftMaxx AI is built for men ages 18 to 35 who want an honest, research-grounded assessment of their face and a concrete plan to improve it. It is also useful for anyone curious about facial proportions, skincare protocols, or how AI evaluates faces. You must be 18 or older to use the app per our biometric handling policy.

5.Do I need to create an account to use SoftMaxx AI?

No account is needed to run your free scan — you can go from the homepage to your score without signing up. Your results are saved on your device, and paid tiers link your scans to your subscription email at checkout. We never require a phone number or social login.

6.Is SoftMaxx AI free?

Yes, the free tier is genuinely free with no time limit and no credit card required. You get the front scan, your overall score, the four pillar bands, your single top priority, 7 AI coach questions a day plus one free daily check-in, and one free scan per calendar month that resets on the 1st. Pro at $19.99/mo and Elite at $39.99/mo unlock side-profile scanning, the full 11-category breakdown, the full protocol, more coach questions, more scans, and rescan tracking (your score change every rescan on Pro, a progress chart on Elite).

7.What does SoftMaxx AI do that QOVES or FaceIQ don’t?

QOVES is a paid clinical-style consultation service; FaceIQ is a scoring app that gives a number without a roadmap. SoftMaxx AI combines instant AI scoring with a personalized softmaxxing protocol on Pro and Elite, an AI chat coach on every tier (7 free questions a day, 50 on Pro, unlimited on Elite), and progress tracking: your score change at every rescan on Pro, and a progress chart across every rescan on Elite. The free tier is genuinely free, not a trial that paywalls your score.

8.Is SoftMaxx AI mobile-friendly?

Yes, SoftMaxx AI is built mobile-first and runs in any modern browser on iOS or Android. You upload directly from your phone camera or photo library. There is no native app to install.

9.Does SoftMaxx AI cover peptides?

Yes, in a separate reference section: evidence-graded peptide pages that say what each peptide has been studied for, in whom, and how strong that evidence is, with citations and FDA status, plus a reconstitution and units calculator that does the math on your own numbers. SoftMaxx AI sells no peptides, names no vendors and publishes no dosing protocols; start at the peptide hub.

10.Is SoftMaxx AI the same as SoftmaxAI or Softmax?

No. SoftMaxx AI (two x's) is not SoftmaxAI (softmaxai.com, an AI consulting firm), any company named Softmax, the similarly named 'Glow Up' app on the App Store or Google Play, or the softmax function in machine learning. Its only official website is softmaxx.io.

11.How does SoftMaxx AI score my face?

SoftMaxx AI uses 478-point facial landmark detection to extract geometric ratios from your photo, then runs the measurements and the image through a vision AI calibrated against peer-reviewed anthropometric research. The system scores 11 categories on a 0 to 10 scale and combines them into an overall score. The full breakdown is on our methodology page.

12.What does a 5/10 mean? Is the average really 5?

Close to it. Our percentile scale is centred on 5.5: a 5.5 ranks top 50%, a 5.0 ranks top 67.9%, a 6.0 ranks top 32.1%, and a 7.0 ranks top 9.5%. Those percentiles come from our fixed scoring curve, not from a count of past scans. The reason other apps tell you you are an 8 is that they are calibrated for retention, not accuracy.

13.Why is my SoftMaxx AI score lower than scores I got from other apps?

In a peer-reviewed 2024 study, AI face-rating tools scored the same faces about 2 points higher than a human rater panel (6.9 vs 5.0) — flattering scores drive shares, so the category skews high. SoftMaxx AI is calibrated against published anthropometric norms and anchored so the middle of the scale sits at 5.5, so a 6 here is closer to a real 6 than the 8.5 you got from a free app. The harder number is the more useful one for actually improving.

14.How accurate is the score?

On the Pro tier, our scoring shows a mean absolute error of roughly 0.83 points when compared against averaged human-rater consensus on benchmark datasets. That is competitive with or better than peer-reviewed academic face-scoring models. No automated score is perfect; treat it as a calibrated signal, not a verdict.

15.What are the 11 categories you score?

The 11 categories are: jawline, eyes, skin, symmetry, hair, grooming, chin, eyebrows, nose, lips and mouth, and cheekbones. Each gets a 0 to 10 score with a short written note, shown in full on Pro and Elite; the free scan shows your overall score, the four pillar bands and your single top priority. The overall score is a weighted blend, not a simple average.

16.What facial measurements do you take?

A front scan computes 44 fixed measurements plus up to 5 skin conditions read from the photo, and a full Pro result shows 40+ of them. About 30 are geometry from the 478 facial landmarks, such as facial thirds, facial width-to-height ratio, eye tilt, eye spacing, gonial angle, midface ratio and philtrum length. The rest are scores the AI reads from the photo, such as skin quality, hair and hairline, and jawline definition. The side-profile scan adds its own measurements, including the Ricketts E-line for lip projection. The full list lives on our methodology page. These are clinical, not cosmetic, measurements.

17.How long does a scan take?

A front scan usually takes under a minute end to end. Landmark detection runs in your browser in under a second; the AI vision pass takes most of the remaining time. Slow connections or busy periods can push the full scan up to 90 seconds.

18.Why does my score change between scans of the same face?

Lighting, angle, expression, and camera focal length all affect what the AI sees. A scan in harsh overhead light at a 15-degree downward angle can score 0.5 to 1.0 points below the same face shot in soft light at eye level. For consistent tracking, replicate your conditions: same room, same time of day, neutral expression, camera at eye level.

19.Can I improve my score?

Yes. Our projection model estimates that a 1 to 2 point overall improvement is achievable for most starting scores with 90 days of consistent softmaxxing — an estimate of scoring, not a measured outcome or a promise. The biggest movers are skin quality, hair, body composition, and grooming, all of which respond quickly to disciplined daily habits. Bone-structure scores are largely fixed but presentation around them is not.

20.What’s the projected score?

The projected score is a Pro feature that estimates your potential overall score after 90 days of fully executing your personalized protocol. It is calculated from category-level improvement ceilings: skin and hair have large headroom, bone structure has near zero. It is a target, not a promise, and it does not include any visual morph or simulation.

21.What do I get for free?

The free tier includes the front-facing scan, your overall score, and the four pillar bands. You get one free scan per calendar month, and the allowance resets on the 1st.

22.What does Pro add that Free doesn’t have?

Pro at $19.99/mo unlocks the side-profile scan, the full personalized protocol across all 11 categories, AM and PM skincare routines with specific product recommendations, your projected 90-day score, the AI chat coach (50 questions a day), 4 rescans per month, and persistent scan history. The Full Report PDF is included with Pro and Elite, or available as a $14.99 one-time unlock. It is the core working tier for anyone serious about softmaxxing.

23.What does Elite add that Pro doesn’t have?

Elite at $39.99/mo adds unlimited scans with no monthly cap, unlimited coach chat, persistent AI memory across all chats, photo upload inside the AI coach for visual feedback, 4 coach personas (General, Skin, Hair, and Jaw & Structure), a mid-week scan delta to catch drift, a photo journal, and a trend dashboard for your score over time. Elite is for users who want a system that remembers them and tracks long-term progress.

24.Is Elite Annual worth it vs monthly Elite?

Elite Annual costs $150 per year compared to $479.88 if you paid $39.99/mo for 12 months, so you save about $330 or 69 percent. It is worth it if you plan to stay on Elite for at least 4 to 5 months.

25.What are rescan credits and how do they work?

Rescan credits let you run additional scans beyond what your tier includes. Pro gets 4 rescans per month built in; if you need more you can buy a single rescan for $1.99, a 3-pack for $4.99, or a 5-pack for $7.99. Credits never expire and stack on top of your tier allowance.

26.Can I cancel my subscription anytime?

Yes, you can cancel Pro or Elite anytime from your account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period, and you keep paid access until then. If you cancel during the free trial, the trial ends that day and you are not charged. There are no contracts or cancellation fees: we ask one question, show the offer that fits your answer, and the cancel button stays on every step.

27.Do you offer refunds?

No. Every plan begins with a free scan, and Pro begins with a 7-day free trial, so you can judge the product before any charge. Once a paid period begins it is not refundable, except where required by law. Cancelling stops the next renewal. One-time purchases such as the HD PDF, report unlocks and rescan packs are delivered instantly and are non-refundable. Charges made in error, such as duplicates, are always refunded: email support@softmaxx.io.

28.Can I gift Pro to a friend?

Yes, you can gift one month of Pro to anyone for $19.99 as a one-time purchase. The recipient gets a redemption code by email and activates it on their own account with no auto-renewal. It is a useful nudge for a friend who keeps asking what they should do about their skin.

29.What happens to my photo after I scan?

Your photo is processed transiently for analysis and then deleted from our servers within seconds of the scan completing. We keep the derived measurements and the score, not the image. If you are on Elite and use the photo journal, only those explicitly saved photos persist, encrypted, and only you can view them.

30.Do you store my photo?

No, by default we do not store your scan photo. The image is held in memory long enough to run analysis, then destroyed. The only exception is the Elite photo journal, which only saves photos you explicitly add to it, encrypted at rest.

31.Are you BIPA-compliant?

Yes, SoftMaxx AI operates in compliance with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act and equivalent state biometric laws. We do not retain biometric identifiers, we obtain consent before scanning, and we publish our retention policy on the privacy page. Biometric measurements derived from your scan are stored only to power your score history and are deletable on request.

32.Do you sell or share my data?

No, we do not sell your data, your photos, or your measurements to any third party, ever. We do not run third-party ad trackers on the scan flow. The only external service that briefly touches your image is the AI vision provider we use for analysis, which is contractually prohibited from training on or retaining your data.

33.Can I delete my data?

Yes, you can delete your entire account and all associated data from your account settings, or by emailing privacy@softmaxx.io. Deletion is permanent and processed within 30 days. We do not retain shadow copies once you delete.

34.What’s stored — the photo, the measurements, or both?

Only the derived measurements, the category scores, and the written analysis are stored by default. The raw photo is destroyed within seconds of the scan completing. The Elite photo journal is the one exception and stores only photos you explicitly add.

35.Is the analysis done on my device or your servers?

It is a hybrid. The 478-point facial landmark detection runs entirely in your browser and never leaves your device. The AI vision pass that interprets your image runs on a third-party AI server (named in our privacy policy) under a no-training, no-retention contract, and your photo is deleted from our side after analysis. The methodology page details the data flow.

36.Why do I have to be 18+ to use SoftMaxx AI?

Because biometric scanning of minors carries additional legal and ethical obligations we do not meet, we restrict the service to adults. The 18-plus requirement is confirmed at the consent step and reaffirmed in our terms. If you are under 18, please come back when you are older.

37.Where does your scoring methodology come from?

Our scoring is calibrated against peer-reviewed anthropometric research, including orthodontic and maxillofacial literature on facial thirds and fifths, phi ratios, Ricketts E-line, gonial angle, and cephalometric soft-tissue analysis. We also use averaged human-rater consensus from public attractiveness datasets to calibrate the final score. The full breakdown is on our methodology page.

38.What research backs the measurements?

The geometric ratios we measure come from established clinical frameworks used by orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons: Marquardt phi mask work, Ricketts soft-tissue analysis, the Powell aesthetic triangle, and standard cephalometric points. None of these are SoftMaxx AI inventions; they are clinical tools we apply with AI. Our methodology page links the categories of research.

39.How does the AI compare against human evaluators?

On benchmark datasets where human raters score the same faces, our Pro-tier scoring agrees with averaged human consensus within roughly 0.83 points on the 0 to 10 scale. That puts it in the same band as peer-reviewed academic face-scoring models. Any single human rater varies more from the consensus than the AI does.

40.What can the AI NOT tell me?

The AI cannot diagnose medical or dermatologic conditions, plan surgery, predict how a specific procedure will look on your face, or replace a clinical consultation for orthodontic or aesthetic work. It also cannot evaluate things outside the photo such as voice, scent, personality, or social context. It is a calibrated assessment of facial appearance from a still image, nothing more.

41.Why doesn’t SoftMaxx AI have a “before/after” preview?

We do not offer face-morph previews because they are misleading and ethically risky: AI-generated future-self images set unrealistic expectations and can cause body image harm, especially for younger users. Real progress comes from the protocol, not a generated preview. We show you the projected score number and the path, not a synthetic image.

42.Does SoftMaxx AI give medical or surgical advice?

No, SoftMaxx AI does not provide medical, dermatologic, orthodontic, or surgical advice. The protocol covers non-medical softmaxxing: over-the-counter skincare, fitness, sleep, grooming, and habits. For anything clinical, including prescription dermatology, orthodontics, or surgery, you need a licensed professional.

43.What’s in the personalized protocol?

The protocol is a category-by-category action plan derived from your specific scan: AM and PM skincare with named products, a hair and hairline plan, a grooming and facial hair plan, body composition guidance, posture and presentation cues, and sleep and habit interventions. Pro unlocks the full plan; the free tier shows your single top priority. Every recommendation is tied to a sub-score you can move.

44.How does the AM/PM skincare recommendation work?

Based on your skin sub-score and what the AI sees (acne, texture, redness, oiliness, pigmentation), the Pro tier generates a morning and evening routine with specific over-the-counter products and the order to apply them. It accounts for skin sensitivity and starts conservative, then escalates. It is not medical advice; consult a dermatologist for prescription needs.

45.Are the recommended products affiliate links?

Some product links are affiliate links, which means SoftMaxx AI earns a small commission if you purchase, at no extra cost to you. Product selection is based on independent research and ingredient quality, not commission rate. We disclose affiliate relationships on the methodology page.

46.How often should I rescan to see progress?

Every 2 to 4 weeks is the right cadence for most users. Faster than that and scan noise (lighting, angle, expression) dominates over real change. Pro includes 4 rescans per month, and Elite adds a mid-week delta scan for users who want tighter tracking.

47.Is there a 30-day glow-up challenge?

Not as a separate product. A 30-Day Glow-Up Challenge was planned and is on hold, so there is nothing to buy or join. To track a 30-day change yourself, use Pro’s 4 rescans a month: scan on day 1 and again on day 30 under the same light and compare the delta.

48.The scanner can’t detect my face — what should I do?

Most failed detections come from low light, heavy shadow, partial occlusion (hat, sunglasses, hair over the face), or extreme angles. Retake the photo in soft natural light, facing the camera straight on, with your full face visible from hairline to chin. If it still fails, email support@softmaxx.io with the scan ID.

49.My scan failed mid-upload. What now?

Refresh the page and try again; a failed upload does not consume a rescan credit. If it fails twice in a row, switch from cellular to Wi-Fi or vice versa, since most mid-upload failures are network related. Persistent failures should be reported to support@softmaxx.io with your account email.

50.Can I scan with glasses on?

No, you should remove glasses before scanning. Frames occlude the eye area landmarks and cause the eye, symmetry, and harmony scores to drop artificially. Clear contact lenses are fine.

51.Why does my side-profile scan need a paid tier?

The side profile unlocks several high-value measurements (Ricketts E-line, chin projection, gonial angle, nasolabial angle) that need a separate AI pass and a different scoring pipeline. Running and serving that costs us more, so it sits behind Pro at $19.99/mo or a one-time side-scan unlock at $4.99. The front scan stays free.

52.I think my score is wrong. Can I appeal it?

Yes, email support@softmaxx.io with your scan ID and the categories you think are off. We do not change scores arbitrarily, but if the photo conditions caused a clear miscalibration (bad lighting, weird angle, partial occlusion), we will grant a free rescan and review the case. We log appeals to keep improving the model.