Being unsure of my own sexuality, I'd like to think I could speak both for male and female in my tastes. For me, body hair on a woman is just a turn-off (save for a healthy, normal patch of pubic hair above her vagina). I think this probably has a lot to do with the society we live in, where women models are hairless, and are presented as sexually appealing in that regard. However, for males it varies. There's a limit in my mind – some chest hair; pubic hair, of course; and maybe some day-old stubble about the jaw. I'm not going to mention arm and leg hair in a sexual regard – I don't find the extremities nearly the turn-on that I find the torso, abdominal region, and neck and head (for both sexes). But on a male, a healthy amount of hair in those places I mentioned earlier is a turn-on; even though I'm also comfortable with none. I'd have to say, most of these ideals are probably just programmed by society, ingraining into my mind what they believe is attractive.
- age 16, Florida
This Week's Wackiest Response:
All forms of hair turn me on. Our local zoo is very exciting. The aquarium is quite boring, though.
- age 19, New Zealand
Body hair neither turns me on nor off; the hair itself is sort of neutral. However, if given the choice, I'd prefer a partner to be clean-shaven, except for normal head hair. As for why this is so, I suppose I like smooth skin, and prefer to see the body, not hair.
- age 18, Massachusetts
I think body hair is a turn-off. I shave most of my pubic hair except for a little patch on top. I think it looks sexy that way.
- age 26, North Dakota
I love guys who look like guys! I love hairy men, facial hair, chest hair, pits, and treasure trails leading to wonderful, lush pubes. Body hair is hot!
- age 31, Louisiana
To me, body hair on anyone is perhaps the most unattractive thing in the world. In fact, I shave from my neck down in the shower almost everyday.
- age 20, Montana
I don't mind hair, really; I am a fairly hairy guy and yet my girlfriend is fairly hairless (in more than a few areas!) However, we don't mind it at all; so it's neither a turn-on nor a turn-off.
- age 17, Australia
That idea of body hair is definitely a turn-off for me; I think it's just nasty and it stinks, especially when people sweat. Personally, I shave (not with a blade; I just put some cream on it and then spray it with water). I don't like the feeling of my groin with hair.
- age 14, New Jersey
My own body hair annoys me, especially during swimsuit season. I'm not exactly crazy about my boyfriend's patootie hair, but I adore his pubic region. I pet him as if he were a kitten.
- age 16, California (female)
Female pubic hair arouses my senses.
- age 38, Wisconsin
I have a little body hair, but would rather not. It links us to apes, chimpanzees, and monkeys, which links us to animality – a complete no-no. Hair is also known to harbor mites and lice, and should therefore be viewed with great suspicion regarding health. Almost all of the people I have known who had or have beards also had food particles trapped therein, again attracting and breeding germs and microbes. I love Asian guys, who in the main have only pubic hair. The Japanese and Koreans are obsessed with public bathing, so there is no worry about infestations around the penis when you are with your partner.
- age 57, England
I'm 15 and gay; the idea of an older, hairy man, a bear I guess, has always turned me on highly. I'm not really sure why. I have many fantasies about it.
- age 15, Pennsylvania
I'm a young teen, still waiting to get all of my body hair. I don't have armpit hair yet and I find other guys my age or slightly older who have pit hair fascinating. However, I think hairy butt cracks are gross. For girls, I like a neatly trimmed pubic area. Girls with armpit hair are a definite turn off.
- age 14, Virginia
The thought of male body hair arouses me. Even though I am not gay, when I masturbate I quite frequently think of a man lying next to me, and me running my hands through his chest hair.
- age 17, Arizona
Body hair turns me off. Hair grows along the entire underside of my penis. Normally, I just pluck it out; however, this causes re-growth and in-grown hairs. So, I just let it grow if I think I'm not likely to get any sex soon. I don't like it, but it's better to have it all there to remove when I need a clean penis for show.
- age 23, New Zealand
Female pubic hair is a big turn-on for me. I find shaved vaginas really boring. Also, seeing the triangle shape pointing down towards the vagina turns me on, which is why I find it sexier to see a girl with a pair of panties on than to see shaved genitalia with no panties. To me, no pubic hair is something that children have; therefore, the idea doesn't turn me on. I guess many guys prefer no hair because it's less intimidating. Maybe they need to grow up.
- age 19, Sweden
When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with men's body hair, especially their chest hair. This was probably due to the fact that I had very little of it. Whenever I saw pictures of men with lots of chest hair, I was both attracted to them and disappointed in myself for not having it. Now that I am much older and actually have a moderate growth of hair on my chest, I am completely uninterested in it.
- age 50, New Jersey
I will not go into specifics, but a first sexual experience when I was young with someone who had a very hairy rear end and legs made such a lasting impression on me that I remember him and the event clearly, even to this day. I find the sight very arousing. Why? I am assuming that first sights, tastes, or experiences of things that prove highly pleasurable must have indelible impact on our habit of thought the same as bad experiences. However, I have to say I am pretty confused by new trends today – tattoos, piercing, and the like. I think the adult human body is beautiful with or without hair, but I don't quite get the reason for men's need to alter themselves by shaving away body hair that is naturally theirs. I would give anything to understand someone's inner reasoning for this, as it might give some insights as to why we do so many other things to "change" ourselves.
- age 54, New York
Being exceptionally hairy by today's shaved standards, I suppose it's a good thing for me that my boyfriend digs it. And in turn, I prefer the fact that he's only lightly hairy (Native American ancestry played a hand in that).
- age 31, Washington
Body hair definitely turns me on sexually. My dad and I went to one of those public bathhouses last winter. Honestly, I was totally aroused when I saw his hairy chest and the long pubic hair on his scrotum in the locker room. He is very conservative at home and never walks around the house butt-naked. So it was the first time I got a peek at his privates. I got an embarrassing boner right on the spot and he was really surprised. As an Asian, I hope that I could soon be as hairy as my dad.
- age 16, Japan
To me, hair on a man's forearms is definitely masculine and sexy. A man in a short sleeve shirt, baring his arms is sexy. I also like a hairy chests and hair "down there." Hair is manly to me.
- age 45, Pennsylvania (female)
On guys, almost all body hair is good – pit hair (big thumbs up); chest hair (oh yeah); happy trail (yee-ha!); crotch hair (works for me); leg hair (bring it on). The only hair I can't handle is back hair. My dad has back hair. No one should have back hair.
- age 16, California
I guess it's probably a personal thing, perhaps connected to my parents, but I am not a fan of a lot of body hair at all! Neither of my folks has a lot. Neither do I. None of my lovers, male or female, has been exceptionally hairy. In fact, since I went to undergraduate school a lot further north than Florida, I simply didn't have to shave my legs during the fall and winter – my hair is so fine and light. Likewise for my armpits. And, when spring and warmer weather did come, it was no big problem to shave what little had grown. Absolutely nothing about pubic hair should require a woman to shave her upper thighs before she wears a simple swimsuit.
- age 27, Florida (female)
The question is really, "How much body hair?" I realize that I've been visually conditioned by admiring beautiful hairless models in ads, catalogs, and pornography. However, I like hair on a woman's body up to about the extent of my own hair, which admittedly is rather light. Light leg hair seems natural and healthy, and a little underarm hair just seems normal. And if I get a glimpse of dark hair over someone's pubic mound, it seems even more normal. It reminds me of the warm, secret feelings I have where my hair grows between my own legs, and I know that is where she urinates, where she feels her clitoris as she masturbates, where she deals with menstrual fluids, and perhaps where she accepts the thrusts of her lover's penis. I can understand a woman not wanting hair to show outside swimsuit legs and it's her business whether she shaves her legs or underarms. But nobody has to be completely hairless to please me.
- age 48, Alaska
The idea of hair on a guy is really hot and I think it is because one of my friends had lots of armpit hair. His hair greatly turned me on and I used to imagine masturbating with him. Then when I started to grow hair, I would check myself out. I know it sounds stupid, but it really turned me on.
- age 14, California
For me, it goes both ways. Body hair all over a body is a real turn-off. It makes a person look dirty and maybe a bit animalistic. On the other hand, the tuft of pubic hair growing on teenagers is quite a turn-on because it is the sign of growth into manhood and towards strength.
- age 36, Holland
Oh yeah! When I was between 12 and 13, the idea of growing pubic hair and armpit hair was a recurrent masturbation theme. Then when I was around 16, the idea of female pubic hair turned me on. I don't know why – perhaps it's about thinking of such a girl as sexually developed.
- age 22, Mexico
I love female pubic hair – the more the better. There's nothing more erotic than a woman in a pair of panties with a massive, oversized pubic patch spilling over the sides. I've had several partners like this and the best one loved to tease in a swimsuit at the beach. My first experience was at age 14 when I saw my friend's mother. She was in her 40s, with very large breasts and, as I found out once, very hairy. It happened when we entered her house and she was sleeping on the couch in a robe that had fallen open. The view I got was a pair of white lace panties smothered in a mass of hair. It was a dirty blond color and started in a trail from her navel and then spread from hip to hip and across her thighs. It was so amazing I'll never forget it.
- age 50, Australia
Although I don't know why, my own body hair turns me on. I think it's the idea that I am mature now, and that I can actually have sex – not that I do – but just the idea that I can. Also, looking at other guys' body hair can turn me on. Usually, I look just to compare myself to others.
- age 16, Canada
Body hair is such a turn-off – I am like the Wolf Man – it's horrible! Every square inch of me has hair except for my palms and feet. It is so bad it's not even funny. Even when I shave, it grows back and it just never stops! My sister suggested I should wax, but that seems *extremely* painful. It is the biggest turn-off ever; just looking in the mirror is bad. I want to be a man with no body hair and who is smooth all over. If only we were living in an ideal world.
- age 16, New Jersey
I never thought that I would have a preference when it came to body hair until I met my fiancé; he is the only man I have ever been with who shaves his pubic hair. I've found that the feeling of smooth, shaved testicles is very pleasurable for me, but I really feel turned off by a complete lack of pubic hair. When he grew back the "puff" of hair over his penis, I couldn't stop rubbing my hand over it. That's when I discovered that pubic hair arouses me; although I still like it when he shaves his testicles.
- age 30, Canada (female)
Body hair turns me on! When I masturbate, I love to pull on the pubes around my penis and under my arms! I think it turns me on because I've only had pubic hair for about a year and it makes me look and feel older. I just *love* pubic hair!
- age 13, Canada
I'm 19, I have hair from my neck to ankle, and I think it's disgusting. When I have sex, I keep my shirt and underwear on. So I would say that body hair is a big turn-off!
- age 19, New Jersey
It seems to me that during the last five years, shaving off pubic hair has become normal for "non-porn stars" as well. I haven't had a girlfriend with a full bush for quite a while. Even the guys at the gym started trimming their pubic hair. And I don't know whether I think it is fashionable or that I really dislike my pubic hair, but I trim that as well. It feels very erotic!
- age 23, The Netherlands
I am totally into the natural. My wife of many years did not shave her pits and it was a definite turn-on. I am also into underarm odors, a natural sexual signal that has been with our species for thousands of years and only recently was deemed to smell bad. My wife knew how to get me excited just by foregoing her underarm deodorant. Underarm hair and odor are intimately connected and is our natural state.
- age 58, Florida
To me, that's like asking what I think about ears, noses, hands, or feet. Most people have body hair; some have quite a bit, while others have very little. Either way, body hair neither arouses nor quashes my libido. It's simply something that people have. Moreover, I don't understand why some people shave off chest or genital hair, but that's their choice. I guess the only things I really am not crazy about are bearded ladies, but they are relatively uncommon these days.
- age 63, Michigan
It's always been a turn-on for me. I think it's because I wasn't very hairy when I was younger, and I envied those who were. It seems that my desire to be hairy morphed into a desire for hairy people.
- age 29, Massachusetts
Maybe it's because I'm pretty hairy, but I absolutely love smooth flesh. There is nothing hotter than a hairless partner. It makes them more fun to lick.
- age 24, Indiana
Cool question! My wife decided to give my bush a proper trim to fit her taste. It involved trimming the pubic hair with clippers to what she thought was a proper shape. She decided the shank of my penis would look much cleaner if it were shaved to the base, She was correct because it looked so much bigger in the mirror after this beautiful trim. The only resulting problem is I couldn't have sex with for two weeks because of the hair growing back.
- age 67, Iowa
Body hair defines a man. When you see a man with a hairy chest, you know he's a mature male whose sexual development is well under way. Thinking of sex is always a turn-on. Chest hair, especially, signals mature sexual development. It unmistakably tells you about the whole man. It is a publicly acceptable display that "gives away" what's happening to a man's private parts. Some men look extremely handsome with their hair; others do not. The same goes for women and their breast development.
- age 55, Maryland
When I see girls with hair on their arms, legs, back, or "down below," (anywhere other than their head, basically), I can't stand it – It just bugs me. I like skin to be smooth. When I see a girl with smooth skin, I immediately get an erection – probably because I am an adolescent boy and get horny quite easily. But that is beside the point that hair on girls' bodies is gross. Hair on guys, to me, isn't necessarily eye candy, either. I am not gay, but I know what is sexy and what isn't. I personally have pretty hairy arms, pretty hairy legs, and quite a lot of pubic hair (unfortunately, I hit puberty early). I wish my arms and legs weren't as hairy as they are, but I understand that every guy has body hair and I just have to deal with it.
- age 13, California
Body hair is kind of a tricky thing for me. Seeing pictures of men and women who've shaved or otherwise removed their body hair is a real turn-on; being able to see every detail on their bodies is so sexy! At the same time though, my wife has a few stray hairs that will curl around the edges of her bikini. Seeing them peeking out when we're at the pool or beach is a turn-on, too. I guess the only time body hair is a turn-off for me is when it gets in my teeth!
- age 27, New York
I have been married for nearly nine years and lately my wife has stopped shaving under her arms. I think it's *so* sexy! It really turns me on and I've asked her to stop shaving altogether. I remember being really turned on by pictures of hippy girls with hairy armpits in my youth so obviously this has been a thing for a while. When having sex with my wife, I love her to put her hands above her head – seeing her hairy armpits makes the whole session more earthy – animalistic, even.
- age 31, United Kingdom
I'm single, 37 years old, and since I was a teenager the idea of body hair has excited me. It's a shame I don't have too much body hair; that would be a great turn-on for me. I probably would not stop masturbating all day long. The feeling produced by the touch of body hair is... how can I say it? Sublime? If I have to choose between a hairy man and a smooth man, I would choose the hairy man without doubt! Definitely, the body hair on a man is the first thing I'm attracted to, physically speaking. The main thing is his soul, but the body hair is very important to me.
- age 37, Mexico
A cleanly shaved area on woman or man is a turn-on. I have been shaving for a while now, and my wife loves it. When I first shaved down there, it was like a new toy and my penis even looks bigger. It was summertime and a friend mentioned how good it felt and that he seemed to be less sweaty. Now I know this may sound gross, but let's be truthful – the less sweat, the less smell there is and that makes everyone happy. My friend also mentioned how much his wife enjoyed his new toy; so I tried it, too. It takes getting used to the new look and feel. But masturbating is really a new experience and a lot of fun – besides, the other perks with your partner aren't bad either. My wife is much more agreeable to oral encounters since there is less hair in an area that is now cleaner!
- age 36, New Jersey
When I was a teen, I didn't like body hair – on me or on others (mine started to grow around age 10 1/2 or 11). I found it a total turn-on to see and be with kids whose genitals had started to grow but who still were hairless or nearly so. As I have grown through adulthood, I think hairiness has become more neutral for me. By now in my life, I have been with some people who are very hairy, as well as with other people who have shaved all of their body hair. Almost all have been interesting to be with, whether or not they are hairy. Other qualities have become more important in attracting and arousing me, such as how the two of us interact with each other and how well we stimulate our various erogenous zones. This is consistent with other physical aspects becoming less important to me as I have grown older. Spiritual compatibility now plays a much larger role in determining someone's attractiveness to me.
- age 62, New Jersey