What Makes a Man Attractive to Women?

Let’s face it, a lot of guys think they know exactly what women find attractive about men. In truth, most of us are only guessing based on what we’ve observed through the years.

This isn’t to say that you’re wrong about your assumptions of what women find attractive. However, what we’ve learned from the ample amount of scientific research on the topic may surprise you.

Here are three of the things we’ve found:

1. Wealth and status do affect a man’s perceived attractiveness.
2. However, it’s not all about looks and wealth. Research shows that humor and kindness are also characteristics which women find attractive in a man.
3. Clear skin and masculine features are often cited as two physical characteristics which women find desirable in men.

Masculine Features

In 2005, a famous study found that a woman’s hormones played a significant role in their preference for masculine faces. That study has been recently debunked by new data from researchers at the University of Glasgow.

The new study found that women prefer masculine features, regardless of their hormone levels. This is something most men have known all along—who doesn’t want a chiseled jaw and striking cheekbones?

One of the easiest ways to achieve that masculine-looking jaw is by losing weight. However, you can also utilize your facial hair to create an angular appearance as well.

Healthy Skin

If you don’t have a masculine face, there is still hope. According to one study published in the journal of Evolution and Human Behavior, women find healthy-looking skin more appealing than a masculine face.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham in Malaysia discovered that in both African-American and Caucasian populations, ratings given by women were related to the golden color of a man’s skin. Golden skin is associated with health and vitality, making it an attractive feature in a potential mate.

Eating fruits and vegetables can help you achieve that rosy-looking glow. But if you want to get results quicker, a men’s firming serum can provide a concentrated dose of vitamins and minerals to your skin for a smoother, more hydrated appearance.

A Sense of Humor

Men find it sexy when women laugh at their jokes, while women find it sexy when a man makes them laugh. At least, that’s according to a 2006 study published in the journal of Human Behavior and Evolution Society.

The findings come from two studies. One study involved asking more than 200 male and female college students to look at photos of the opposite sex. Some photos had funny captions underneath them, while others had boring ones. Women ranked the photos with humorous captions as more attractive.

Another study asked 127 students to visualize two people of the opposite sex. In each pair, one person was described as funny, but not interested in another person’s remarks, while the other was described as appreciative of another person’s humor, but not funny themselves. Men overwhelmingly preferred women who would find them funny as opposed to those who made jokes.

The study was replicated in 2015 and the findings were similar. Don’t have a sense of humor? Don’t worry—humor can be learned, gentlemen.

Kindness

It’s not uncommon for people to believe that attractive people are kind based on their looks alone. This type of cognitive bias is called the halo effect and it has been well-documented in the world of psychology.

But studies show that the opposite can be true as well. According to a 2014 study, kindness can increase perceived attractiveness.

Researchers assigned 60 males and 60 females into one of three groups and were asked to rate the facial attractiveness of 60 photographs of random men and women. Later, participants were given the same images with a positive personality trait or a negative personality trait written beneath it and asked to rate their attractiveness.

Researchers found that across all three groups, facial attractiveness was highly influenced by positive personality traits such as kindness and honesty.

Wealth and Status

It’s no secret that wealth and a high social status are attractive qualities in a man. According to a study published in the journal of Evolution and Human Behavior, women are far more likely to find wealthy men attractive.

The study asked women to rank pictures of 300 men based on their attractiveness. Later, they ranked the same men with their salary information written underneath the photo. Results showed that men are seen as more attractive when they have a higher salary.

Another study had men pose by a “high-status” (Silver Bentley Continental GT) and a “neutral-status” vehicle (Red Ford Fiesta ST). The results found that men who posed with the high-status vehicle were considered more attractive than those who posed with the neutral-status vehicle.

In the Eye of the Beholder

Attraction is a complicated thing. What one woman finds attractive in a man, another woman may find repulsive.

Still, there are ways to enhance your handsome. Getting a higher paycheck and a new car might be out of reach, but you can always show off your handsome mug by taking good care of your skin.