Editorial Standards

How we research, write, source, and update content. If we ever break one of these rules, that's a bug — tell us.

Sourcing hierarchy

For any factual claim, we prefer sources in this order:

1. Peer-reviewed primary research (PubMed, Cochrane, journal-of-record).
2. Professional body guidelines (e.g., American Academy of Dermatology, British Orthodontic Society, GMC).
3. Reputable secondary review (Harvard Health, NHS, NIH consumer pages).
4. Market or industry data for non-medical claims (pricing, availability, market size).
5. Community-reported observations — clearly labeled as such, never presented as medical fact.

Every claim that reaches above the "community-reported" tier carries an inline citation linking to the source.

Evidence rating

We tag content sections by evidence strength when it matters:

• Established — backed by multiple RCTs or strong professional consensus. Example: tretinoin reduces photoaging.
• Plausible / clinical practice — used in clinical settings with reasonable mechanistic support, but limited high-quality trials. Example: finasteride for non-AGA hair loss.
• Disputed — claims circulate widely but evidence is weak, conflicting, or relies on case reports. We add a banner. Example: jaw bone-remodeling from mewing in adults.
• Anecdotal / community-developed — flagged as such throughout. Example: bonesmashing.

Medical disclaimers

Articles that discuss procedures, prescriptions, surgery, supplements at therapeutic doses, or anything affecting hormones carry a medical disclaimer at the top of the body. We do not provide individualized medical advice. See our full medical disclaimer.

Influencer coverage policy

Our influencer pages are journalistic coverage of public figures in this space. They are not endorsements. We cover both creators we think provide value and creators we think misinform. Profiles aim to be accurate about what someone actually claims, what their credentials are (or aren't), and what controversies exist. If we get a profile wrong, the contact path is below.

Conflict of interest

We do not currently take affiliate revenue, sponsored placements, or paid content of any kind. No clinic, surgeon, supplement brand, app, or coaching program pays us to mention them. If this ever changes, the page that's affected will carry a clear disclosure at the top, and the policy here will be updated to match.

Corrections policy

When a published claim turns out to be wrong:

• Factual error: we correct the text and add an "Updated [date]" note above the body explaining the change.
• Outdated source: we re-research and either replace the citation or qualify the claim.
• Misleading framing: we revise the section and note the change in the article's update history.

Every article shows its publication date and last-reviewed date so readers can judge freshness.

AI use disclosure

We use AI tools as research and editing assistants — for fact-checking against current literature, for surfacing claims that need citations, and for catching writing patterns that read as machine-generated. Final editorial decisions, source verification, and the words you read are reviewed by a human editor. We don't ship straight LLM output.

Reporting an issue

For factual corrections, source updates, or research tips, the contact details are in our Terms of Service. We read every message and respond within a few business days.