02 Aug Surprising effect your ovulation has on men
Past research shows that you’re perceived by others as more attractive in Week 2 of your cycle as you near ovulation (about 10 to 14 days after the onset of your period) thanks to high estrogen, which causes subtle shifts that make your facial features more symmetrical and gives you a boost in confidence that makes you appear more alluring to others.
Other research shows you view yourself as more attractive on these Week 2 days as estrogen boosts levels of brain chemicals that send your mood and self-esteem soaring.
And, still, other research shows that you perceive potential partners as more attractive the closer you get to ovulation. Credit, again, goes to rising estrogen, which gives you the hormone equivalent of “beer goggles” in a bid to make you pair up in time to get your egg fertilized.
Now, in an interesting twist, a 2013 study in the journal Biological Psychology reveals one more way ovulation affects attractiveness–and it’s a quirky one:
Turns out, as you approach ovulation in your cycle, men around you perceive themselves as more attractive on these days.
Why oh why would your ovulation have any impact on a man’s perception of his own appearance?
It may actually come down to how you behave toward them, researchers speculate.
They figure that during this fertile phase of your cycle, high estrogen and testosterone are making you more flirtatious, affectionate and likely to initiate physical intimacy. And this, in turn, makes men feel better about themselves, revving their self-confidence.
However, I wonder if it has to do at least in part with the fact that during ovulation, your body gives off certain chemicals in your sweat that causes a man’s testosterone level to rise, according to this 2009 study in the journal Psychological Science. And when a man’s testosterone shoots up, so does his confidence and self-esteem.
Either way, if there are any take-aways here, it may be that if you notice a guy you know needs a boost in the confidence department and you’re in the second half of your Week 2, it might be worth chatting him up or sidling up close to him to get his testosterone revved.
Or, alternatively, is a guy is acting annoyingly cocky around you during the latter half of your Week 2, you may want to walk far, far away!
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