by Emily Mitchell

Okay, let’s get something out of the way first: she’s probably not comparing you to Brad Pitt.

“Women don’t pick apart your naked self as much as you might imagine,” says psychologist Jill Weber, Ph.D, author of Having Sex, Wanting Intimacy. “They’re less aroused by a naked male body than they are by depictions of actual sex activity.”

But while the butt-naked you may not be hitting the same arousal buttons as her bared bod does in your eyes, you can be sure that she is checking you out nonetheless. All of you. “Studies tracking eye movement show women give men the once-over physically just as much as men do women,” says sex columnist and author Tracey Cox. So when you drop trou in her presence, keep the following intel in mind:

1. She’s checking out your hands—especially your nails

This probably happens before you disrobe, but this is the moment of truth—and your mitts are about to be all over her. Of course she’s scanning them again. Are they clean? “Many women think a guy’s hands are sexy. We imagine them all over our bodies and that can be a turn-on or a turn-off depending on how they look,” says Jennifer Landa, Ph.D, of BodyLogicMD in Orlando. Pay attention to basic grooming and trimming.

2. Speaking of nails, she’s also looking at your toenails

“We may not see your feet too often if it’s not summer, but rough feet don’t feel nice between the sheets,” says Landa. Consider a pedicure—or some at-home grooming such as using a little bit of coconut oil on the rough spots can do the trick.

3. She’s noticing your manscaping (or lack thereof)

Do you trim or shave, or let it go wild? “Most women nowadays are hoping for some manscaping down there. It can improve accessibility, and also may increase your sensitivity,” says Landa.

4. She’s noticing your choice in underwear

She likes certain kinds of undergarments on her guy, just as you do on your gal. “Some of us like briefs, some boxers, and some boxer-briefs, but usually we like a particular type,” Landa says. “If you want to know how best to impress your lady with your underwear, ask what she likes.”

5. She’s hoping you smell good

If you’re smart, you’ll borrow this tip. “The amygdala is very close to the olfactory bulb where your sense of smell takes place,” Landa says. “Brain research recently found that the amygdala has been shown to play a major role in sexuality. Smells and sex have a very intimate relationship, so let her pick the scent you should wear to appear more sexy to her in bed.”

Just don’t mask your natural scent completely. “Pheromones—these are incredibly important indicators of a woman’s attraction to you,” says sex and relationship expert Wendy Walsh, Ph.D. “When humans mate, our immune systems combine and create hopefully stronger ones in our offspring.” So she will be attracted to a man whose biology smells good to her. Showering and dousing yourself with cologne will hide your natural scent, which could hurt her arousal. “If you don’t smell right for her, she isn’t getting aroused,” says Walsh.

———————————

Read more in Men’s Health

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.