# Does semen improve females' complexion **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249 "2003-09-23T04:17:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/1 "2003-09-23T04:17:41Z")
I am referring to semen deposited in the vagina, & not rubbed on the face. Many females swear this is true. It is not due to the sex act, because condoms intefere, obviously. As an aside, I have only heard this from black women, never from a white. Any scientific or medical basis, & if so, why do only black women claim it works? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/2 "2003-09-23T04:30:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by doctordoowop \* > \*\*Any scientific or medical basis, & if so, why do only black women claim it works? \*\* Because some black guys are very clever. ---
**Author:** ![Phage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@Phage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phage)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/3 "2003-09-23T04:32:43Z")
Or some black women are very stupid. Or both. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/4 "2003-09-23T04:37:36Z")
Complexion, no. Mood, yes, according to New Scientist 29 June 2002: "SEMEN makes you happy. That’s the remarkable conclusion of a study comparing women whose partners wear condoms with those whose partners don’t. The study, which is bound to provoke controversy, showed that the women who were directly exposed to semen were less depressed. The researchers think this is because mood-altering hormones in semen are absorbed through the vagina. They say they have ruled out other explanations." ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/5 "2003-09-23T04:45:50Z")
Well, thank you AndrewT. IMO, not as a dermatologist, but in the medical field, mood seems to affect almost everything; no surprise that includes the skin. Black men have no monopoly on being clever, or black women on being naive: maybe black skin differs,besides color, from white. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/6 "2003-09-23T06:40:59Z")
BTW I thought the statement that semen-exposed women (great band-name, that) were “less depressed” - not actually happy - was interesting. ---
**Author:** ![KenGr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@KenGr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenGr)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/7 "2003-09-23T06:45:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AndrewT \* > \*\*BTW I thought the statement that semen-exposed women (great band-name, that) were “less depressed” - not actually happy - was interesting. \*\* I guess we just have to help out, whenever we can, no matter how small the contribution. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/8 "2003-09-23T07:02:26Z")
Wait a minute… if that New Scientist article is true, then does that mean that all those women are _acting_ when they kneel before Peter North? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/9 "2003-09-23T22:16:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KenGr \* > \*\*… no matter how small the contribution. \*\* Speak for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/10 "2003-09-23T22:38:38Z")
I need a wallet-sized version of that New Scientist article. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/11 "2003-09-24T00:07:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by doctordoowop \* > \*\*I am referring to semen deposited in the vagina, & not rubbed on the face. Many females swear this is true. It is not due to the sex act, because condoms intefere, obviously. \*\* How can the semen do anything if there’s a condom in place? ---
**Author:** ![Skeptico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@Skeptico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeptico)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/12 "2003-09-24T00:55:26Z")
I’ve read a woman reporting the same face-skin improvement experience – after buying a dildo. What happens is simple cardio activity makes sweat come out of the pores, thus cleaning said pores. Same effect can be accomplished with regular exercise. ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/13 "2003-09-24T01:35:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AndrewT \* > \*\*Complexion, no. Mood, yes, according to New Scientist 29 June 2002: > > "SEMEN makes you happy. That’s the remarkable conclusion of a study comparing women whose partners wear condoms with those whose partners don’t. > > The study, which is bound to provoke controversy, showed that the women who were directly exposed to semen were less depressed. The researchers think this is because mood-altering hormones in semen are absorbed through the vagina. They say they have ruled out other explanations." \*\* So women who’ve been raped are actually happy, not traumatized? Somehow I don’t think that is the case. It’s more likely that the interaction is more complex than you, or the study, are reporting. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/14 "2003-09-24T01:50:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AudreyK \* > \*\*How can the semen do anything if there’s a condom in place? \*\* He’s saying that the benefit is due to semen, not the sex act, as no benefit is seen after sex using a condom. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-improve-females-complexion/203249/15 "2003-09-24T01:55:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xcheopis \* > \*\*So women who’ve been raped are actually happy, not traumatized? Somehow I don’t think that is the case. It’s more likely that the interaction is more complex than you, or the study, are reporting. \*\* Come on now. Did I (or the study) say or imply that every single woman with semen inside her is happy, no matter how acquired? Clearly not. Just to make it painfully clear, the study only covered consensual sex.