And guys do seem to be fans. Of the 500 men surveyed by Schick, 79 percent said they like neatened-up bikini areas, while 21 percent either don't care or are turned off by it. (Of course, if guys want it so much, perhaps they should pick up the salon tab…but that's another story!) What's somewhat reassuring: Many men hold themselves to the same standard. Of the 100 men Glamour polled, 30 percent agreed that if women are expected to groom their privates, men should also have to—and half said they already do it, which explains the "manzilians" some salons now offer. Perhaps Diddy, who's admitted to shaving his man parts, best summed it up when he said, "If men require women to go through the pain, we should return the favor."
It's all part of today's cult of perfection, this inclination to pluck, prune and preen every inch of yourself. Yet there are other, more unexpected reasons why men like it when women wax, according to conversations with dozens of guys. Unlike Amanda's date, they aren't necessarily grossed out by a thatch of hair. Nor do men want us to act out some super-shorn p*rn-tacular fantasy (well, not all the time) or pubescent Hannah Montana creep show.
As it turns out, a lot of men see grooming down there as an intimate little treat—they don't just think you've waxed, they think you've waxed for them. Which is egocentric and cute, all at the same time. "When a woman I'm with takes time to landscape,'" says Joe, 29, of Atlanta, "it shows that she's trying to look sexy in a way that only I'll be able to see. That makes it even sexier." As another guy puts it, "It's the same feeling as when men give women flowers: Awww, gee, you care." Go for a haircut and he probably won't notice; when's the last time a guy you were dating said, "I love those layers. And did you go more choppy this time?" But get a bikini wax and bam—boyfriend is paying attention!
Men who are into Brazilians use words such as naughty and vixenlike to describe their appeal. Keep them talking, though, and they rave about the feel, which makes sense: A lot of women who go bare say it heightens sex for them, too. "When women remove their hair, there's one less layer between you," notes Jonathan, 28, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. "It feels great to slide across smooth, bare skin, and it's easier to access her hot spots. Everybody wins."
Not into waxing or shaving—or doing anything at all? Take heart: A sizable minority of men find hair removal unnecessary, or even unnerving. When you're with someone who's au naturel, explains Ken, 30, of San Francisco, "it makes you feel like you're with a real woman." Eric, 31, of Austin, Texas, recalls the time his girlfriend surprised him with a Brazilian. "I felt like a dirty old man," he says, "but I had to act like I loved it because I knew that for the next couple of weeks there was no going back."
