Privacy Policy

Who We Are

LooksMaxxing Forum is an independent online discussion community focused on appearance improvement, skincare, hair health, and related topics. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that data.

If you have questions about this policy or how your data is handled, contact us through the help form linked in the footer.

Information We Collect

We collect only what is necessary to operate the Forum. This includes:

• ›Account information: Username, email address, and hashed password when you create an account. If you sign in via Google OAuth, we receive your email and public profile name from Google.
• ›Profile data: Optional information you choose to add to your profile: bio, avatar image.
• ›Content you post: All threads, posts, and replies you submit are stored in our database and visible to other users according to the category's access rules.
• ›Usage data: Pages visited, time spent, and interaction patterns collected via privacy-respecting analytics (see Analytics section below). We do not track you across other websites.
• ›Technical data: IP address (for abuse prevention and security), browser type, and device type. IP addresses are not stored long-term and are not linked to your profile.

Analytics & Third Parties

We use privacy-first analytics tools that do not use cookies, do not track users across websites, and do not build advertising profiles. Aggregated, anonymised usage statistics help us understand which content is most useful and improve the Forum.

If you authenticate via Google OAuth, Google's privacy policy governs data shared during that process. We do not share your data with any advertising networks or data brokers.

Some posts may contain affiliate links to third-party retailers. Clicking these links takes you to external sites governed by their own privacy policies. We do not receive any personal information from affiliate click-throughs beyond standard aggregated conversion reporting.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect only to:

• Operate and maintain your account and profile
• Display your posts and content to other users
• Send essential account notifications (email verification, password reset)
• Enforce community rules and prevent abuse
• Understand aggregate usage patterns to improve the Forum
• Comply with legal obligations when required

We do not sell your personal data, use it for advertising targeting, or share it with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

Cookies

We use only essential cookies necessary to operate the Forum:

• Session cookie: keeps you logged in during your visit
• Preference cookies: stores UI preferences (e.g., theme settings) if applicable

We do not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or third-party cookies for behavioural profiling.

Your Rights (GDPR / CCPA)

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• ›Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• ›Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal data. You can update most information directly in your account settings.
• ›Deletion: Request deletion of your account and personal data. Note: posts you have made are part of public discussions and may be anonymised rather than deleted to preserve thread integrity. Use "Delete account" in settings or contact us.
• ›Data portability: Request a machine-readable export of your personal data.
• ›Objection / Opt-out: CCPA residents may opt out of the sale of personal data. We do not sell personal data, so no action is required.
• ›Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time without affecting lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us through the help form in the footer. We will respond within 30 days.

External Links

Forum posts frequently link to external websites including product pages, research papers, and third-party resources. We do not control these external sites and are not responsible for their content or privacy practices.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any external website you visit, particularly before entering personal information or making a purchase.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated date at the top of this page will reflect when changes were made. For significant changes, we will post a notice on the Forum.

Your continued use of the Forum after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. If you disagree with the changes, you may close your account and request data deletion at any time.