Week 2: “Men are From Mars; Women can smell them from there”

A girl’s ability to smell is far greater than a guy’s, especially at the time of ovulation (when the female olfactory ability is at its greatest). This trait is extremely important in the process of evolution – girls attempt to detect any possible male pheromones that are present to increase their chance of successful procreation.

This is also particularly relevant given the findings at our bar odor tests. We discovered that guys emanate bad smells not only from their underarms, but also from their abdomen, back and chest. And since girls have a better ability to smell than guys do, they can detect a guy’s odor more intensely than other guys around him. The more intense the odor, the more unpleasant it is.

Thus, guys may perceive that they (or their friends) don’t smell that bad both because a) their sense of smell is not as good as a girl’s; and b) guys rapidly adapt to smell, so that if they are exposed to a smell over a short period of time, they do not recognize it anymore. Therefore, a guy will go to a bar smelling bad and not even know he smells – but girls near him will detect his malodor and will interpret that he smells bad, therefore is bad, and will avoid him.

Visit my blog next week to learn how to tell if it’s you who smells…or just the guy next to you.

Got any thoughts on Dr. Hirsch’s post? Do you agree with his assessment of girls’ smell senses versus guys’? Have you noticed an increase in other smells once cigarette smoke leaves bars? Post to the “Stench Support Group” here.

Week 1. “How Cigarette Smoke Affects Your Smell”

As bars shift from smoke-filled to smoke-free, patrons’ “olfactory experiences” (what they smell) tend to shift as well. But what causes this shift?

When smoking is allowed inside bars, cigarette smoke acts as a mask to the underlying bad smells that reside. But smoke doesn’t just hide these smells, it actually kills and temporarily paralyzes your “olfactory apparatus” (ability to smell). As a result, you cannot detect your own odors, the odors of others in the bar, odors outside the bar or odors on your way home that evening.

After being surrounded by smoke in a bar all night, any girl who leaves with a guy would not detect his underlying body odor later that night – or, potentially, the next morning. Thus, guys – unfortunately – could get away with smelling bad, and girls are unable to recognize it.

Furthermore, regular smoking impairs your ability to smell. A girl who smokes heavily could be much less likely to even recognize that a guy smelled badly.

Why should all this matter to you? Because the elimination of smoke allowed guys’ underlying body odor to come out – both at the bar and after they leave. And to a prospective “hook-up” – no matter how you look, how much money you make or how interesting you are – if you smell bad, the girl’s attraction to you will plummet. That fact is not rocket (or scent) science!

Check back next week for some insights into what differentiates guys from girls when it comes to scents and smells.

Got any thoughts on Dr. Hirsch’s post? Have you noticed an increase in other smells once cigarette smoke leaves bars? Ladies – have you turned down a guy at a bar because he smelled? Talk it out in the “Stench Support Group” here.

Stink Support Group

Check out our forum to discuss your nastiest smoke-free bar experiences.

Have you recently had a smelly-bar or restaurant encounter? Have you been turned down by a girl for sweating like a freshman at a liquor store? Ladies, have you given a guy the hook because he reeked? You’re not alone.