Why women once preferred hairy men

10:00 AEST Thu Dec 15 2011

December 15, 2011

While metro-sexual men (in addition to and including: body-builders, Lycra-wearing bike riders, pro swimmers, guys who sleep in tanning beds or choose to work out in front of a mirror) all busy themselves removing as much body hair as they can get their manicured hands on, researchers suggest our female ancestors actually preferred hairier guys.

Body hair might seem useless in this day and age, but in a time when men were men, scientists believe it served a useful purpose in detecting parasites. And because our female ancestors preferred a bug-free mate, they perhaps opted for hairier guys.

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Researchers at the University of Sheffield in England recruited 29 student volunteers and shaved a patch of hair from one of their arms. The scientists then tested how long it took the volunteers to detect bedbugs placed on each arm and how long it took the parasites to find a good place to feed on.

The researchers found that body hair significantly enhanced how well people detected the bedbugs, with the hairs serving as motion detectors. The hair also prolonged how long it took the parasites to find places to feed, likely because it hindered movement

The results have led scientists to speculate that in our evolutionary past women could very well have preferred hairier men – because they had fewer parasites on them.

Your say: Do women prefer hairy men?

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User comments

Hair, its what separates the men from the boys. Definitely wax excessive back hair and if you suffer from a gorilla ***.. but keep everything else! I like a bit of a 5'oclock shadow too.

what about a hairy ***

I love running my hands on his chest hair and pulling his hairy arms. And DITTO, you really feel like you have a real man!

Can't stand a waxed smooth hair-free chest on a man but please get rid of excessive back hair aaaarrrrghhh. Leave your legs & everywhere else alone. Shave your face every second or third day. Perfect.

As a woman who has appreciated and enjoyed quite a number of men over the years - in bed and out - I cannot understand the current obsession with guys removing hair! Please don't, it's part of what makes you male, and it feels wonderful. Hairless men look like immature boys, and I don't want a boy in my bed. Let me do the waxing, and keep the razor away from everywhere except your face.

My husband is hairy all over. I love a hairy chest so I can run my fingers through it. You really feel like you have a man.

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