Factors of Sexual Attraction (Part 1)

The fact that we find someone sexually attractive is not a simple coincidence but it depends on various factors which more or less subconsciously influence our perception.

Sexual attraction is defined by a beautiful face 

The first thing that attracts us to a person is the appearance. Supposedly, we can decide if we like the person or not in several seconds. Cosmetic surgeons and scientists have concluded that it is possible to determine the ideal ratio of face features. Dentist Dr. Jefferson is firmly convinced that beauty has a lot to do with the position of the jaws and nice teeth. Sexual attraction is closely connected to a symmetrical face because such person is perceived as more attractive than the person with asymmetrical face. Such people are subconsciously perceived as more healthy because the position of their nose, the eyes and chin has an ideal, the so called golden ratio.

Among those who have an ideal face according to the mathematical calculation are also Jessica Simpson and Halle Berry. Sexually attractive face is also defined according to skin complexion which varies among the cultures. In Southeast Asia a pale face is attractive and women often make it lighter, while in the Western world a tanned complexion is popular. Of course it also varies according to history periods; in the past fair complexion was popular because it was a symbol of wealthy people, while the peasants and farmers had a tanned complexion because of working in the fields.

Sexual attraction of a body 

It is not so easy to define a sexually attractive body because the perception of what is ideal changes through time. In the baroque era heavier women were considered sexually attractive, but now we live in an era where a woman with a thin waist and full breasts is considered as such. In general, sexual attraction is defined by the culture we belong to. In some African tribes, the most attractive girls are those who have cut lips where they place a large clay disk. A woman who does not want to follow the tradition is considered an outcast, unpopular and unattractive among the potential husbands. While in our culture such procedure is considered to be a mutilation of the body and is not understood, it is necessary in other cultures. Obesity is also considered as unattractive in the Western world while on the island of Mauritius young girls are forced to gain excessive weight because it is a sign of a fertile and attractive woman. 

The perception of what is attractive or not is forced upon us by the media and it is not necessary that we are actually attracted by the same type of beauty. It is very important to be attracted to a person's appearance but the appearance is not the only and most important factor of sexual attraction. Maybe you will be attracted to a person because of some imperfection according to beauty standards. A certain flaw can make a person even more interesting and special in a more authentic and less artificial way.

Sexual attraction of smell

According to Dr. Laura Berman who studies the factors of sexual attraction, the smell plays a very important role. In the study, people recognized 10.00 different smells even though we are not even aware of most of them. Body smell of a person influences the factor of sexual attraction. We can also sense the time when a man has the highest level of testosterone in his body or when a woman is most fertile or right before her period. All these different smells can strongly affect the sexual attraction of a person while some other types of smell, though irresistibly attractive to some, are repulsive to others.

The most probable explanation is that Mother Nature plays tricks with us because a smell can help us to identify someone who is genetically compatible with us. Each person has their own characteristic mixture of pheromones that have a subconscious influence on our sexual excitement and the choice of partners.

In the second part of the article, read about other factors of sexual attraction.