7 Weird Traits That Make Men Attractive

Health Envoy's Blog

The science of attraction can be hard to predict. Here are seven surprising traits that might increase your sex appeal to the right woman.

By Chris Iliades, MD

Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

 

 

 

If you're a man who laments that you don't understand women,
be prepared for more confusion.
The science of attraction is hard to predict, research shows. Sure,
sex appeal is partly about good looks and an emotional connection,
but there's also a lot going on under the surface.
"There is both a physiology and psychology of attraction," explains Tina B.
Tessina, PhD, a psychotherapist and author of The Unofficial Guide to Dating Again.
"The physiology is what we call 'chemistry,' and it can be very misleading.
You can have chemistry with an ax murderer." If you're wondering what appeals to women,
get to know these physical and emotional traits that may increase your sex appeal.

A Stony Mug

Women are least attracted to images of happy men and most attracted to images

of prideful men, despite this not being what we think of as a desirable emotional trait,

researchers from the University of British Columbia found after asking more than 1,000

adults to rate the sexual attractiveness of various photos. "Bad boys usually have a type

of charm and charisma, and they're used to using flattery to get what they want," Tessina explains. 

"All of this is attractive to a certain kind of woman. Many women are drawn to power, like men are drawn to beauty."

 

 

A Strong Immune System – and Jaw Line

A strong immune system can possibly imbue you with sex appeal, too.

A study published in the journal Nature Communications found that men with

high levels of the hormone testosterone and certain stress hormones also have

stronger immune systems and tend to have more masculine facial

features — a sexy physical trait.

The authors of this study suggest that this combination may be a way that

hormones help attract women to men.

brow are more attractive to women who are ovulating, a study published 

in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior found,

based on interviews with 66 heterosexual couples.

The authors of the study suggest that when women are looking for someone to mate with,

there is an evolutionary attraction to strong facial features because they

are linked to stronger genes. In addition to strong jaws, weight might also be a measure of attraction,
new research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B found.
While the women in this study responded favorably to strong-jawed men,
they used thinness and fatness to cue them into a man's overall fitness level more
than any macho facial features — and the fitter the men appeared,
the more attractive they were, perhaps because of the same desire for a man with
a strong immune system noted in other studies.


 

Good Character

Men described as "generous" won points with women who participated in a study

published in the British Journal of Psychology.

Women believed these men had great sex appeal for long-term relationships

and simply a single date because altruism gets high marks as a good character trait. 

"Women want a man who is honest and keeps his promises," Tessina says. "Reliability,

responsibility, and accountability will give a man the strength of character to keep his

marriage vows and promises."

 

A Facial Scar

Although New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' facial scar is actually a birthmark,

it still might give him a leg up with the ladies, according to research published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. In the study, researchers asked 147 women to

rate men with slight facial scars and men without facial scars for sex appeal. On the whole,

women thought the men with facial scars were sexier. "

Women who feel stifled or bored can easily fall for bad boys," Tessina says.

"The movies and TV make the bad-boy image very romantic and sexy,

and the edge of danger can be a thrill." But before you sign up for dueling lessons,

know that the study also found that women only wanted these men for a short-term fling.

 

A Book-Smart Side

Women prefer smarter and more creative men, researchers at the University of California,

Davis, reported in the journal Evolution & Human Behavior, after asking women to review

videos of men doing various verbal and physical tasks. "

This trend started when men like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates became rich and famous,"

Tessina says. "Less-attractive people are often more successful at building

long-term relationships — and happier in their relationships — than attractive people."

Being a nerd may

impart sex appeal if women perceive you as responsible, intelligent,

and a good financial provider. "This is incredibly important because financial irresponsibility will create lifelong stress and deprivation," Tessina adds.

 

 

And a Great Personality

No longer is "he has a great personality" code for a lack of attractiveness — turns out,

it really adds to your sex appeal, a study published in the journal Personal Relationships found.

The study asked people to rate photos of the opposite sex for sex appeal before and after finding out about their personalities. Photos attached to traits like being honest and helpful looked more attractive the second time around — and negative traits lessened the impact of good looks.