In recent years, there has been a shift in beauty standards for men to embrace more natural, unshaven looks. The “dad bod” and the lumbersexual beard have become widely accepted as attractive male traits. But why exactly are hairy men seen as more attractive by many? There are several potential reasons.
Display of Masculinity
Body hair is strongly associated with masculinity and testosterone levels in men. During puberty, rising testosterone causes an increase in body hair growth. Therefore, a hairy chest or beard signifies the man has reached sexual maturity. This display of masculinity and male sexual energy is instinctively attractive to females from an evolutionary perspective. The same logic applies to deep voices and muscular builds in men.
Sign of Maturity
As men age, they tend to grow more facial and body hair. A hairy man therefore gives off the impression of maturity, experience, and wisdom. Women may find this attractive as it suggests the man is established in life and ready for commitment and providing. The salt and pepper or fully grey beard has become a popular sign of distinction in older men.
Dominance and Aggression
In the animal kingdom, larger manes in male lions for example display dominance and aggression to compete for female mates. By the same instincts, a hairy chest and rugged beard represents alpha male aggressiveness and virility. This dominance can translate into a man being viewed as highly sexually desirable by women.
Pheromones and Scent
Hair follicles contain tiny glands that release pheromones, chemicals that trigger social and sexual behavioral responses. The pheromones emitted from a man’s chest hair and beard carry his unique chemical signal. When inhaled by women, these pheromonal scents can unconsciously communicate masculinity, sexual fitness, hygiene and overall genetic suitability for mating.
Warmth and Comfort
From an sensory perspective, thick facial and body hair looks and feels warmer. When in an embrace with a hairy man, many women associate this tactile warmth with feelings of comfort, safety and being protected. This subconscious emotional response arising from touch likely makes hairy men more appealing.
Contrast of Masculine and Feminine
As women generally have far less body hair, a very hairy man creates a stark contrast of masculine and feminine. This contrast is aesthetically pleasing and upholds the primitive essence of man as hunter-gatherer protector and woman as maternal nurturer. The binary masculine/feminine dynamic is affirmed most vividly when embodied to its fullest extremes.
Nonconformity and Rebellion
The clean shaven and waxed metrosexual look became trendy in the 2000s. Now as culture shifts, hairy men represent a sort of rebel against the conformist grain of society. This nonconformity and boldness to go against modern fashion is inherently attractive and signals confidence and conviction in one’s identity.
Virility and Potency
As discussed earlier, body hair is linked to testosterone production and male sexual energy. Therefore, hairy men give off the impression of being more virile, fertile and sexually driven. For women seeking strong, genetically fit mates to pass on genes, this virility signified by body hair is reproductively advantageous. Even into old age, older hairy men convey lasting virility.
Animal Magnetism
Female attraction towards masculine, hirsute men ties back to animal instincts of mating with the alpha male. Powerful body hair mimics the manes of the most virile males in the animal kingdom. This bestows an animal magnetism onto hairy men that taps deep into the primal, carnal desires of women.
Cultural Shifts
In many cultures historically and to this day, hairy bodies and beards represent wisdom, power and high social status. The wealthy could afford to grow out their natural hair. Therefore, cultural associations of hairy men being successful and dominant persist and influence female attraction.
Rarity Value
In modern times, men removing body hair has sadly become the norm. As hairy men become rarer, this makes them more novel and unique. The intrinsic appeal and allure of uncommon features and rarity subconsciously draws interest. Just as brunettes may be seen as more exotic in a world of bleached blondes.
Paternal Appeal
Hairy bodies, deep voices and muscular builds evoke the archetype of a powerful father figure. This triggers psychological and emotional associations of being protected and cared for, instincts which can translate into attraction. It also ties back to perceiving the man as being mature and nurturing.
Sexual Fetishization
For some women, excessive amounts of male body hair is an actual sexual fetish or kink. Known as faunophilia or chaetophilia, this abnormal sexual fixation stems from deep psychological associations of hair with masculinity, virility and raw primal lust.
Key Reasons Hairy Men are Found Attractive
- Displays masculinity and testosterone
- Signifies maturity and experience
- Conveys dominance and aggression
- Releases attractive pheromones
- Provides tactile warmth and comfort
- Contrasts masculine and feminine
- Shows nonconformity and boldness
- Indicates virility and fertility
- Evokes animal magnetism
- Historical cultural associations
- Rarity compared to modern men
- Paternal protector appeal
- Extreme sexual fetishization
Criticisms and Counterarguments
While the above reasons explain why hairy men are largely seen as more attractive, there are also counterviewpoints:
- Excessive hairiness can be seen as unclean and unhygienic
- Thick body hair may be associated with hypermasculinity and aggression
- Smooth, hairless skin is considered more youthful and softer
- Body hair can exacerbate body odor if not washed regularly
- Men with less hair may take care of grooming and appearance
- Hairiness may be linked to infidelity, sexual promiscuity in men
Preferences Vary Between Women
Female attraction is diverse and plenty of women may prefer clean shaven or lightly hairy men. Some key considerations on preferences:
- Cultural background – body hair views differ
- Age – younger women may prefer less hair
- Personal taste – varies wildly
While hairy men may have instinctual appeal, women have individual differences in ideal preferences. Some women really favor beards, others detest back hair. Personal experiences, cultural views, age and random subjective tastes all impact what individuals find visually and aesthetically pleasing in a potential partner.
Conclusion
The rise of hirsute men like the “lumbersexual” look demonstrates shifting cultural attitudes toward male body hair. While earlier clean-shaven fashions are not extinct, natural hairiness is increasingly seen as attractive and desirable for men. The reasons for this stem from primal evolutionary views of hair signaling mate fitness, masculine virility, maturity, and high testosterone. Body hair triggers deep carnal instincts and responses in women tied to reproduction and selecting strong mates. However, preferences remain diverse across individuals and cultures. Hairiness is not universally beloved. But for men who naturally grow thick hair, overall it seems attitudes have shifted in favor and women today do largely find hairy men hot.