TresSugar

Do You Believe in Pheromones?

DearSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:00:46 -0800

Some guys seem to exude sex, a trait often attributed to pheromones, the chemical signals that people supposedly emit when they're in the mood. But turns out, scientists have never been able to find evidence of such pheromones in humans.

In an essay published in the journal Nature, scientists say they haven't pinned down so-called "releaser pheromones" in humans, which would trigger sexual desire. They have, however, found evidence of "primer pheromones" related to physical reactions. Here's more:

Scientists have observed what they think are the effects of human primer pheromones, including studies showing that some compound in the extract from a woman's armpit can cause menstrual cycles of nearby women to sync up. And a recent study found that women can smell a guy's sexual intentions. . . . But without any actual chemicals identified as pheromones, scientists can't test effects on humans, so the jury is out as to whether we communicate via pheromones.

OK, first of all: How cool is it that they may have proven that menstrual-cycle syncing actually happens?! I thought that was just a myth. That makes me wonder if the sexual pheromones thing is also a myth or if maybe it's just not proven yet. What do you think?

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His Sweat Tells a Woman He's "In the Mood"!

DearSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:00:00 -0800

I've heard that some women love how their man smells after he works out, and it turns out that musty aroma might be telling you more than you think. According to a recent study, the scent of a man's perspiration can subconsciously tell a woman that he's "in the mood."

Researchers in this study asked 20 heterosexual men to stop wearing antiperspirant and other scented products for a few days. Then (this is a funny image!) they asked the men to put pads in their armpits while they watched pornographic movies so the scientists could gather their sweat. Afterward, they were asked to place pads under their armpits so sweat could be collected when they weren't aroused. Nineteen brave women's brains were scanned as they sniffed these pads and lo and behold, their brains reacted to the sweat produced when the guys were turned on. I guess we have a little animal instinct in us after all!

What do you think? Are you turned on by your man's sweat when he's aroused?

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Follow Your Nose to Love

DearSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Scents are all the rage this season, and I'm not just talking perfume. This month's Psychology Today has a fascinating article about how natural scents determine our attraction to others. It's widely known that pheromones, a natural scent released by humans directly related to sexuality, influence lust and that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling. But this article takes it a step further, saying that the smells we seek out are actually determined by our genes.

Unfortunately, for those of us on the Pill or other hormonal birth control, things seem to go a little haywire. According to the article:

The pill subverts a woman's ability to sniff out a compatible mate by causing her to misinterpret the scent messages she receives. . . . and making her seem less appealing to men.

Yikes, this means we could be choosing the wrong men and losing out on great guys because we're on the Pill! As if a decreased sex drive wasn't enough of a bummer!

I don't scoff at science and medicine, but it's hard to believe our genes and smells could have that much to do with our relationships. Then again, there's nothing like your favorite man's smell first thing in the morning. What do you think? Has scent had an effect on your attraction or desires?

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Women More Sensitive to Stinkiness Than Men

DearSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:30:19 -0700

Well, I could have told you that based on purely anecdotal evidence (i.e., growing up with a teenage brother), but now I've got the scientists to back me up. According to a new study out of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, women are far more adept than men at cutting through fancy colognes to detect a dude's scent.

Apparently, men and women are equally skilled at detecting stink, but women aren't as easily fooled by cover-ups:

Underarm odors alone smelled equally strong to women and men. But when fragrances were introduced, only two of 32 fragrances blocked underarm odor when women were doing the sniffing, compared with 19 fragrances that blocked the odor for men.

The scientists surmise that women are better at detecting "biologically relevant" information - perhaps whether he's in the mood or sweating out pheromones. So does that mean BO can help you pick a sig-o?

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Dear Poll: Do You Like Him Freshly Showered or Au Naturale?

DearSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:00:00 -0700

I’m assuming we’re all fans of hygiene here, especially in regards to those around us, so I'm sure none us are too keen on a boy who only saves showers for special occasions. That said, there can be something particularly hot about a guy when you catch him just before he bathes. His own musk can be pretty amazing - it’s got to be the pheromones! On the other hand, good-smelling cologne and aftershave can be incredibly sexy, too. Obviously I’m torn, so which do you prefer?

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Is the Pill to Blame?

DearSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

The pill's side effects have had a bad wrap for quite a while now - weight gain, mood swings, blood clots, etc. - but now researchers are adding poor judgment when it comes to finding a mate to that list. We all know about pheromones, but MHC (major histocompatibility complex) genes are another big player when it comes to compatibility. Apparently the best mates are those with a different MHC smell than you, but new research found that women on the pill are actually attracted to men with matching MHC.
According to Live Science,

MHC genes churn out substances that tell the body whether a cell is a native or an invader. When individuals with different MHC genes mate, their offspring's immune systems can recognize a broader range of foreign cells, making them more fit.

To make things even more complicated, matching MHC can cause fertility problems and the potential for the relationship to dissolve if the woman goes off the pill since her order detection will change.

As someone that's been on the pill before, and had a string of incompatible mates, I can't say if it was pure coincidence or if the pill was actually to blame. What do you all think? Does this research have any merit when it comes to your personal life or do you think it's all happen circumstance?

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Do You Believe in Menstrual Synchrony?

DearSugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:00:00 -0800

If you've ever lived with other women, and none of you were on hormonal birth control, you may have discovered that your cycles slowly began to mimic each others. This is called menstrual synchrony, but many scientists will say that women who live together, menstruate together is hogwash. I've actually experienced this so there's got to be some truth to it.

In 1971, Martha McClintock studied 135 college women. She wrote down the starting date of their periods at three different times during the year. She discovered that women who lived in close-knit groups had their periods an average of 6 to 4 days apart during certain times of the year. It's said to be caused by pheromones, the release of chemical signals that influence behavior and physiology among people. Other studies conducted after this, however, showed no connection between women living together and their cycles synchronizing.

What do you think about menstrual synchrony? Have you ever lived with a woman (sister, mother, roommate) or group of women and noticed that you had your periods about the same time?

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Why Do We Have Hair Down There?

DearSugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 08:00:00 -0700

Woman can spend a lot of time and money dealing with their pubic hair. Most women shave, wax, or do sugaring, so they have less or none at all. That got me thinking - Why do we have it in the first place?

Pubic hair actually serves a very important purpose. Just like your nose hairs trap pollen, dust, and germs from entering your nose, pubic hair protects your body too. It traps bacteria, preventing it from entering your vagina. If you remove it completely, as with a Brazilian bikini wax, you may be increasing your chances of developing bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections.

All of your hair (no matter where it is) helps to regulate your body temperature and can also reduce friction during body movement, which makes it less likely for your skin to get irritated down there.

Click here to read more

Here's another interesting point - from nature's perspective, our pubic hair has a lot to do with procreation. Your body secretes pheromones that attract the opposite sex, and your pubic hair (as well as underarm hair) helps to capture that erotic scent. It's kind of like a billboard that says, "Hey, look over here!" It attracts others to that area, so we can, well, you know, make babies!

Luckily, getting rid of your unwanted hair won't necessarily affect your chances of attracting someone. It's your personal preference to decide what you do with it, and if you're like me, knowing the purpose of your pubic hair doesn't make you love it any more.

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You Asked: Turning Things Up a Notch in the Bedroom

DearSugar — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:00:00 -0700

DearSugar --

I've been with my significant other for 5+ years, and well, we don't always get romantic as often as we'd like. We both work full time, have busy social lives, etc. How can we turn things up a notch?! ~ Randy Sandy

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Randy Sandy --

Excellent question, and one we've all had to ask ourselves, rest assured. Let's jump right in, shall we?

First of all, you gotta schedule it. Believe it or not, making it a priority and putting in the calendar helps. It's awkward when you sit down to plan the dates and times, but you'll both get over that when the appointed hour arrives. Trust me on this. Try it.

A little exercise decreases the stress hormones and increases the excitement hormones. If you both exercise or enjoy walks, schedule a little rendezvous afterward. And sweat can be a very good thing for the pheromone department; think about skipping the shower beforehand.

Dopamine, a chemical that functions as a neurotransmitter, loves novelty, but novelty with a slight element of fear. Do something outside your comfort zone together and then head directly home. You know each other and will have to decide whether that new thing involves racing go-carts, trying a strange food you've never had, or making out in your car in the daylight in the Target parking lot. But you get the drift.

God, I love the UK. Go here for the best Kama Sutra website on the planet. There's a "love position locator" that let's you choose the effort level for each of you individually and the overall difficulty level. Up pop the positions that match your selections. Click on the positions for instructions, visual and written, and there you'll also find how many votes this particular position has received! Look through it together, pick a few, giggle a bit, and get busy. Again, it might feel awkward being so deliberate and formal, but that fades once the romance begins.

I like spontaneity myself, so here's one if that's your speed. This game helps build tension, which can be helpful when kickstarting things. Each of you write down 5 to 10 sexual or sensual things you'd like to do or have done to you. I'm guessing you guys can trust each other not to visit a scary left field for the other? Anyway, get a 'his' container and a 'her' container. You put your little 5 to 10 scraps of paper in his box, and he puts his little suggestions in your box. Come your scheduled play date, one of you draws a suggestion from your respective box -- take turns on separate dates -- and commence with the request. Ask questions if you need a little elaboration or clarification. And no peeking at the requests beforehand!

Hit your local bookstore and visit the sex section. No Amazon.com for this purchase. You need to see the books. There are about a gazillion titles published into this category, so look through them carefully until you find one that doesn't make you squirm or roll your eyes, because I guarantee both those things will happen repeatedly. That said, I guarantee you'll find at least one book that speaks to you and provides more suggestions for keeping your connection alive this way.

One last thing: you might spend some time online at Good Vibrations. I love this place, and I think it's a great reference point for sexual exploration that's respectful and woman-centered. Books, videos, toys: you can feel comfortable that their selection is carefully chosen and vetted. Besides, all the staff is extremely well-educated and trained. Call them, ask them anything, and they'll point you in the right direction.

Most of all, Randy Sandy, have fun together and continue to love each other well -- that's the secret to all of this, of course.

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Pillow Talk: The Power of a Kiss

DearSugar — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0800

I'm glad so many of you participated in the poll last week about what you would live without in your relationship if you had to; tricky, wasn't it? A mere 15% of you opted to give up kissing. Not only is kissing just plain fun, it's also good for your body, your brain, and your relationship.

Kissing someone for the first time reveals all kinds of information about them. One study out of Russia suggests we chemically react to the saliva of a good, potential partner, receiving a rush of hormones if they pass. The face and hands are also loaded with scent glands, and we know for certain how helpful compatible pheromones can be when it comes to romantic attraction!

Passionate kissing releases endorphins, The more powerful the kiss, the more adrenaline you get, giving you that high feeling I'm sure I don't need to describe. The study also reports that kissing has been proven to stabilize cardiovascular activity, decrease cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, and it may even help burn calories.

But I love the versatility of the kiss. It can be a simple, romantic moment. It can be a greeting or a farewell gesture. It can be tender or passionate. It can be platonic or affectionate. It can be filled with excitement or with grief, even. There's one for your lips, your cheek, your forehead or your nose.

Anyone with a great kissing story to share, ladies? And I know there have got to be a few horror stories as well. Dish, please!

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