Week 4. “The Smell Bubble”

Whether we realize it or not, we are all surrounded by an “olfactory bubble.” In other words, we each project our own unique individual smell to the space around us. It becomes our odor universe. As someone enters our sphere and our olfactory bubble is punctured, they interpret the smell to represent who we truly are.

If the smell is pleasant or “good,” that person will perceive us to be “good” (or view us positively). Conversely, if the smell is “bad,” both consciously and unconsciously, the individual will perceive us to be inherently bad. To be candid, the worse we smell and the stronger our smell is, the bigger the olfactory bubble, and the more repulsed people may be.

Bottom line is that some research shows that girls perceive a guys’ potential capacity as a lover based on smell more than on looks or on income. In other words, keep yourself fresh and smelling good all night long (and all over your body) or your chances in the mating game may burst like a bubble!

Got any thoughts on Dr. Hirsch’s post? Still confused about the “Smell Bubble?” Have you had any nasty, funny or even successful experiences at smelly bars? Sweat out your feelings in the “Stench Support Group” here.

Week 3: “What’s that smell? Is it me?”

Let’s imagine this scenario for a minute: You’re a guy who has been out all night drinking. You’re at a packed bar and dancing feverishly with a girl. As you dance, your testosterone level increases, further elevating your already-present bodily aroma. By nature, your sense of smell is already less powerful than the girl’s, and the alcohol in your system is only hindering that sense more.

So with all those factors, how do you know if you smell? You could ask the girl you’re with (although not recommended) or a friend. Or you could use this method for identifying whether an aroma of B.O. is emanating from you.

Go outside for five minutes. Come back inside, find an enclosed room (men’s room works) and see if you notice a smell. There is always the old stand-by of “put your nose under your arm and sniff,” however by doing this, you will miss most of the bad smells coming from your scalp, trunk and abdomen.

The bottom line: When out at crowded, blisteringly hot bars, most guys think they can just use underarm deodorant. However, those guys may still start to smell bad whether they recognize it or not. Adding an all-over deodorant bodyspray may help you stay fresh all night long by combating odor-causing bacteria.

Check back next week to learn how an “olfactory bubble” could keep you from getting the girl.

Got any thoughts on Dr. Hirsch’s post? Any suggestions on how to tell if you smell bad at the bar? Any nasty (or successful) smelly bar stories? Spill the beans at the “Stench Support Group” here.

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.