by Don Clark

Created on: August 04, 2008

This is an interesting question which does not appear to have one uniform answer. When I was a teenager I could hardly wait for my chest to grow some hair. This was because the actors in Hollywood, the athletes on the sports fields and the models in the magazines were all fairly consistently portrayed with hair on their chests. It represented adulthood and manliness. But me, I was a late bloomer. So it would come as no surprise that I would be the only one in my group of friends leaving for college looking like I should be a freshman in high school.

As my college years passed by, it became apparent to me that it simply was not going to happen. Ironically, the same guys who had teased me about my chest being pre-pubescent or whether my boyfriend likes my chest smooth (I am not gay so that was why they thought they were funny) were now becoming more preoccupied with maintaining the hair on the top of their heads. They probably would have traded every single hair that had sprouted on their chests to be transplanted up top.

Then much to my pleasant surprise I dated some women who were turned on by the fact that my chest was hairless - my wife being my number one fan. In fact, after being complimented on my blue eyes, it would have been the second physical feature that got the most compliments. And around the same time it became trendier for the younger guys to shave their chests. Now I was suddenly a pioneer in a movement that I never wanted to be a part of.

It still amazes me how much tastes have changed in this regard. My wife told me that one of her friends is even pushing her husband to have his chest hair removed by laser, and was hoping she could tell him that I had done it and look how good it turned out for me. She must have been disappointed to find out that not only did I not do it, but I would have been the last person to have my hairy chest removed.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have come to terms with who I am - and even enjoy the fact that when my shirt is off people think that I am much younger than I am. I got carded recently at a resort pool bar at the age of 41. Also, I am a workout nut, and my chest is one of the muscles that stands out on me the best. I believe a lot of that has to do with the fact that there isn't any hair in the way, which motivates me to stay in shape. With all that said I am still jealous of the guys who chest hair. At least they have the option to remove it and then grow it back in again - I never had such an option.

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