Why are hairy guys usually big?

[etgaw1]

I am large guy. I have a lot of body hair. As I look around I notice that most hairy guys are big and most skinny guys don’t have much body hair. I know that there are hairless large individuals and hairy skinny people. But from my own observations it is like how I stated before. The only thing that I can think is that large men have more testosterone which would cause more body hair. But other than that I draw a complete blank. If any body can SHED some light on this subject I would be greatful.

[astro]

I also a big guy with a reasonable amount of body hair (not gorillaesque mind you) but I don’t think I’ve noticed the large = more hair vs small = less hair relationship you are talking about in my travels unless you are the only large, middle aged caucasian in a locker room full of orientals, high school kids or Chippendale dancers. Smaller guys often have plenty of body hair.

[Joey_P]

I always thought of it as big guys are more hairy (rather than hairy guys are big). I noticed it one day watcing an ad for some excersize machine. The before picture would be a big hairy guy, and in the after picture they always seemed to have lost all their body hair (and added muscle bulk).

[alice_in_wonderland]

*Originally posted by Joey P *
**The before picture would be a big hairy guy, and in the after picture they always seemed to have lost all their body hair (and added muscle bulk). **

I think that’s because most weight-lifters/body-builders shave their bodies to help emphasize their muscle definition, as opposed to the weight loss causing their hair fall out.

I do not know this for sure, however, as I have never been a big, hairy, non-body-building man, or a small, non-hairy, body-building man.

[Nametag]

*Originally posted by etgaw1 *
**I am large guy. I have a lot of body hair. As I look around I notice that most hairy guys are big and most skinny guys don’t have much body hair. I know that there are hairless large individuals and hairy skinny people. But from my own observations it is like how I stated before. The only thing that I can think is that large men have more testosterone which would cause more body hair. But other than that I draw a complete blank. If any body can SHED some light on this subject I would be greatful. **

I don’t think it’s true; one possible reason for your observations is that large guys may be more likely to walk around with their shirts off, thus exposing body hair, whereas you simply don’t see the body hair (or lack thereof) on skinny guys with their shirts on. Also, a big hairy guy has a lot more hair than a little hairy guy.

[GusNSpot]

Bears are usually bigger than the average little guy.

[douglips]

Well, I’d have to go with:
a) Higher testosterone levels lead to larger muscle mass.
From Journal of Endocrinology:

There is agreement that testosterone supplementation increases muscle mass and maximal voluntary strength in a variety of clinical and experimental paradigms

b) Higher testosterone levels lead to more body hair.
From Testosterone Test:

Studies have shown a proportional relationship of testosterone levels to the amount of body hair.

Thus, I’d hazard a guess that both traits are effects of a higher hormone level (caused by genetics or whatever.) But, I am not an endocrinologist.

[astro]

*Originally posted by GusNSpot *
**Bears are usually bigger than the average little guy. **

True, true Bears in the Woods -Our Friends

[Gary_Kumquat]

*Originally posted by douglips *
**b) Higher testosterone levels lead to more body hair.
From
Thus, I’d hazard a guess that both traits are effects of a higher hormone level (caused by genetics or whatever.) But, I am not an endocrinologist. **

I think you’re being overly simplistic, as testosterone is also linked to baldness

*From intellihealth *
elevations in levels of testosterone or other male hormones that can lead to both baldness and heart disease

I’m not sure that there is any real correlation between size and hairiness. Anyone got any stats?

[mmmiiikkkeee]

Exactly what do you mean by “a big guy”? - There’s big as in short and wide, (say 5’8 or less but over ~200lbs), tall and either wide OR thin (say over 6’3 and 230+lbs), and then the matter of what your circumference consists of (fat, musclely, or in between). Difficult to tell what kind of big guys you notice as being hairy.

I don’t know if testosterone levels dictace body shape or size as there are big people who are very timid and soft - like the stereotypical computer geek, and short skinny guys who are very hairy and aggresive - like Chuck Norris.

I haven’t noticed the big and hairy trend myself… most gorillaesque guys I’ve seen have been short and skinny.

[istara]

**quote:

Originally posted by douglips
b) Higher testosterone levels lead to more body hair.
From
Thus, I’d hazard a guess that both traits are effects of a higher hormone level (caused by genetics or whatever.) But, I am not an endocrinologist.

I think you’re being overly simplistic, as testosterone is also linked to baldness **

Head baldness though, not body hair baldness?

I have seen masses of short, very hairy guys, so I don’t think it’s short=bare tall=hairy. But maybe there’s a correlation with stocky and hairy? Or even between very-hairy-body/balding-head?

etgaw1 - these big tall hairy men - do they include more lanky-beanpole ectomorphic frames? Or all they all more thickset?

[Liberal]

I’ve seen plenty of really skinny guys that are hirsute, and plenty of really fat guys that are glabrous.

[istara]

Glabrous. What a creepy word…

[Morgainelf]

I don’t believe the corrollary is true. UNLESS you’re quiet young (high school) and have noticed this among your peers. Then I’d say that size and hairyness have more to do with some guys maturing earlier than others.

FWIW, Mr. Elf is quite small and rather hairy. Not in the “carpet on the back” kind of way mind you, but no one would ever look at him and think “smooth.”

And, I come from an Italian family with many, many small hairy men.

[handy]

Strange, most of the hairy guys I see are shorter than I. Where do you get this idea
that big guys are hairy & where hairy are you speaking hair?

[easy_e]

*Originally posted by istara *
**
Head baldness though, not body hair baldness?

I have seen masses of short, very hairy guys, so I don’t think it’s short=bare tall=hairy. But maybe there’s a correlation with stocky and hairy? Or even between very-hairy-body/balding-head? **

I’d go with this. A high school biology teacher told our class that the cure to male pattern baldness was castration. And every once in a while, if I’m really bored in class or a meeting, I’ll look at all the men. I think there is a correlation between degree of body-hair (going off the arms) and baldness.

I bet there’s a paper on it.

[douglips]

Gary Kumquat wrote:

I think you’re being overly simplistic, as testosterone is also linked to baldness

OK, let me expand my previous quotation from the same source:

Studies have shown a proportional relationship of testosterone levels to the amount of body hair. The hair growth response to testosterone differs in different parts of the body. Hence, in some men, for example, testosterone promotes hair growth in the abdomen and back while hair growth is suppressed in the scalp, leading to male pattern baldness. Genetics plays a major role in the expression of the 5 alpha reductase enzyme, which converts testosterone to the hair-altering compound dihydrotestosterone, leading to a family tendency towards balding. The drug finasteride (propecia) inhibits the action of 5 alpha reductase, and can reverse male pattern baldness in some men.

Better?