# Ladies - A Question for You re: Male Chest Hair **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2000, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931 "2000-11-06T13:35:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/1 "2000-11-06T13:35:40Z")
There’s no cute, funny, or subtle way to ask this question, so here goes - Ladies, do you like your men with chest hair or without? I’m diving back into the dating pool after 15 years and I’m wondering if I need to get the clippers out. Lots of the men that are presented as the “ideal” via advertising are as smooth as babies. While I know that I shouldn’t be using them as my models, there’s got to be some appeal of the pre-pubescent look. What’s it going to be, ladies? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/2 "2000-11-06T13:46:26Z")
Yes, please. The prepubescent look doesn’t do it for me. I’d like my man to look like one! ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/3 "2000-11-06T14:21:31Z")
With - something else to tangle my fingers seductively in and toy with. (It also helps when the body the hair is attached to is in decent shape, also.) Don’t shave - red marks (from waxing) and ingrown hairs are a definite turn-off. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/4 "2000-11-06T14:56:58Z")
I’ve dated men with and without chest hair and I’d say it’s immaterial. If you have a lot on your back, however, or have excessive hair on your hands (like Robin Williams) then I’d say wax it. Otherwise, my advice is to spend your excess time at the gym getting a toned body and quit worrying about the hair. Nothing can take the place of a nice set of muscles, and everyone can get them. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/5 "2000-11-06T15:05:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PunditLisa \* > **I’ve dated men with and without chest hair and I’d say it’s immaterial. If you have a lot on your back, however, or have excessive hair on your hands (like Robin Williams) then I’d say wax it.** Why? ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/6 "2000-11-06T15:25:46Z")
A long-standing Y membership (10% body fat, 5’10", 180#, 46" chest, 34" waist), so I’m not too worried about the physical part, but I am a little, um, hirsute (not quite as wooly as Robin Williams, more like Alex Baldwin). None on the back or shoulders, but put me in tennis whites and you’d think a gorilla was trying to learn the game (I avoid wearing white if at all possible). Looks like the clippers can stay in the drawer. ---
**Author:** ![Cyndar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cyndar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyndar)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/7 "2000-11-06T15:35:33Z")
I don’t like body hair. Some on the arms and legs is OK, but I don’t care for chest hair, and if men would shave their underarms too, I would think that was great. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/8 "2000-11-06T15:35:58Z")
pldennison, For the same reasoning men don’t like a woman with hairy legs or underarms. It’s the “ick” factor. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/9 "2000-11-06T15:58:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PunditLisa \* > \*\*pldennison, For the same reasoning men don’t like a woman with hairy legs or underarms. It’s the “ick” factor. > > \*\* Well, I’m sure glad I’m married to my wife and not to you. She isn’t quite so superficial. The “ick” factor can go fuck itself, IMNSHO. ---
**Author:** ![Cyndar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cyndar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyndar)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/10 "2000-11-06T16:32:44Z")
oh my. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/11 "2000-11-06T16:41:09Z")
Go with the chest hair, definitely. I hate this trend of having every man on TV/magazines/etc. shaving their chest hair. They look like little boys! There’s something about chest hair that’s just, well, sexy. Yummmm… ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/12 "2000-11-06T16:52:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by PunditLisa \* > > \*\*pldennison, For the same reasoning men don’t like a woman with hairy legs or underarms. It’s the “ick” factor. > > > > \*\* > > Well, I’m sure glad I’m married to my wife and not to you. She isn’t quite so superficial. > > The “ick” factor can go fuck itself, IMNSHO. \*\* Testify, brother. My husband has hair everywhere, chest, back, arms, legs, etc., and I see nothing “ick” about it. Quite the opposite, in fact. As Scarlett and Athena said, I fail to see the attraction of a pre-pubescent looking chest. It also frustrates me to no end that the media sends out the relentless message that “attractive=hairless”, making wonderful, sexy, masculine men like my husband feel ugly. ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/13 "2000-11-06T16:53:59Z")
Chest hair vs. no chest hair is immaterial to me - if I’m attracted to the person then I’ll find their chest hair or lack thereof really cool when the shirt finally comes off, in a sort of “oh, that’s what you look like” moment. 😉 I would not be a fan of a guy shaving or waxing chest hair or back hair or hand hair. Why go through the itch and the stubble and the time when I’d like him just the way he is? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/14 "2000-11-06T17:04:58Z")
If someone is going to judge you based on your amount of body hair (or lack of), do you really want to be with them? Think about it… A) You wax your chest and wind up marrying a woman who doesn’t like chest hair. Really then, you’d have to wax for the rest of you life! Do you honestly want to do that? B) Odds are, she’s not going to see your chest on the first date anyway. Probably not even on the second. Anyway, say the two of you really hit it off and, after a while, you take your shirts off. Now say she’s completely disgusted by your hairy chest and never talks to you again. Think of it as a “Shallow Test”. C) It’s your chest. And, apparently, you like it otherwise you would have done something about it by now. Right? Leave it and find someone who’s willing to look past body hair. ---
**Author:** ![Sunglasses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5fc32e/32.png) [@Sunglasses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunglasses)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/15 "2000-11-06T17:33:36Z")
Mmmmmmmmmmm . . . . chest hair. Yum. And ditto what Silver fire says. ---
**Author:** ![Idnew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/278dde/32.png) [@Idnew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idnew)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/16 "2000-11-06T17:43:28Z")
Hmmmm chest hair with an un-buttoned shirt. Too sexy. A man that is hairy all over like a gorella, well he can’t help it, but that’s not a great turn on. I like men with or without chest hair, but the chest with hair just has some great sex appeal. Sticky stubble hair no thank you and I also ditto what Silver Fire said. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/17 "2000-11-06T18:01:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Idnew \* > **Hmmmm chest hair with an un-buttoned shirt. Too sexy.** Preach it sister! Chest fuzz is yummy. Just one request, however: watch it with the gold chains. Recently the few hairy chests I’ve seen other than fella bilong missus flodnak’s (stupid hairless baby-chest fashion, feh) look like walking seventies flashbacks because there’s a long gold DISCO! chain hanging down into the mass. It really, really, really, REALLY ruins the effect. ---
**Author:** ![Idnew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/278dde/32.png) [@Idnew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idnew)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/18 "2000-11-06T18:20:28Z")
**flodnak** Absolutley agree with you on the gold chains. One small one is OK but a string of them, forget it. Not going to say what else it reminds me of. Some good smelling cologne doesn’t hurt either. Just got this mental picture. 🙂 _goes to look for her hairy chested boyfriend_ ---
**Author:** ![wireless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@wireless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wireless)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/19 "2000-11-06T20:14:52Z")
Chest hair = niiiiice. I like my men to look like men, not boys. Back hair, etc. - well, I’d prefer not, but as said above, if that’s how you’re going to judge someone… **Pllnr** - you go get 'em, tiger! **One caveat:** if it’s a dress shirt, wear a t-shirt underneath. As much as I like chest hair, those curlies sticking out _through the fabric_ of a dress shirt (not merely peeking out at the neck) are a _definite_ turn-off. ---
**Author:** ![Sledman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Sledman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sledman)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931/20 "2000-11-06T20:17:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by PunditLisa \* > > \*\*pldennison, For the same reasoning men don’t like a woman with hairy legs or underarms. It’s the “ick” factor. > > > > \*\* > > Well, I’m sure glad I’m married to my wife and not to you. She isn’t quite so superficial. > > The “ick” factor can go fuck itself, IMNSHO. \*\* pl… That’s just plain rabble rousing. The basis of the thread is kind of shallow if you dig into it. It’s about what women like re: chest/body hair. Pundit Lisa is entitled to her opinion and hey if she doesn’t like a hairy back or fuzzy arms that’s her choice. As for the rest of you…pretend I wasn’t here. (I can’t believe I just posted to a thread about women’s thoughts re: male chest hair.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-a-question-for-you-re-male-chest-hair/39931.md?page=2)