What gives men the ick: 170+ real turn-offs (and the 6 that came up the most)
Most men don’t actually say what turns them off… not because they don’t notice it, but because saying it out loud feels rude, shallow, or unnecessarily honest. So they soften it, lie, or ghost. But give them anonymity (on my Instagram), and the truth comes out. And that truth is specific, unfiltered, and a lot more honest than what they’d ever say directly.
Why men get the ick (the psychology behind instant attraction loss)
The ick is less about perfection and more about perception. Men (and women) subconsciously scan for signals that something feels “off”: hygiene, personality, compatibility, lifestyle, self-awareness, or long-term alignment. The moment a behavior (or look) contradicts the image of us they’ve built in their head, attraction halts. The ick is basically the brain saying, “This does not match what I expected and I want to GTFO.”
30 micro-icks that instantly kill attraction for men:
The following “icks” couldn’t quite be grouped into the most commonly mentioned categories because they fell on the hyper-specific side. Spoiler alert: they’re some of the most entertaining/ shocking. These are the small, oddly precise icks that stuck with men enough to make the list:
Talking during movies
Long face peach fuzz
Baggy jeans 👖
Ugly toes 🤧
Ass hair - (This came up 4 different times)
Wearing sports bra and leggings 24/7
Talking with an upward inflection – heavy valley girl accent 😂
Interrupting human conversation to talk to an animal
Calling me “Bro”
Dirty car / messy spaces
Shlurring their feet - (I think this means when someone drags their feet??)
Socks in bed, what are you hiding on your feet?
Being unemployed or having a part-time job at a min-wage job
Bad grammar in texts
Material girl.
Celeb or Influencer idolizing, believing everything you see on the Internet is real
Poor friends circle
“I only have guy friends, girls are too much drama.”
When the phone is filled with selfies.
Strange/annoying se* noises
Hair extensions / fake lips but fake lips good for bjs from ex gf hoes
Super long fingernails
Overly masculine energy
Mustache, super thick/super thin eyebrows
Bad perfume!
Floral panties
Overly drunk / sloppy drunk
Dating minorities in the past
Hair extensions / weaves
gum-to-teeth ratio
6 Most COMMON icks men would NEVER tell a woman:
1. Hygiene, Smell, and Grooming Men Mentioned
Roughly 1 in 13 men brought up smell down there… making it one of the most commonly mentioned hygiene-related turn-offs in the entire list. Other mentions were related to bad breath, body odor, hair in unwanted areas, dirty feet, chipped nail polish, and poor general upkeep (basically anything that signaled neglect in personal care).
Related article: How to tell your partner her bestie downstairs smells
Related article: Do guys like pubic hair on women? 148 men reveal their preferences
2. Smoking/ Nicotine Use
Guys don’t want to smell it, taste it, or have it linger. A few called out vapes, Zyns, and specifically, cigarettes.
3. Too Much Makeup / Lip or Face Injections
A lot of men mentioned they prefer “natural,” which really means “I like makeup or work I can’t detect.” 😂 Jk… king of. Most guys don’t even know what natural looks like anymore… makeup and cosmetic procedures have gotten THAT good. The best work (in my opinion) is undetectable. But the illusion breaks when the illusion becomes visible. One thing’s clear: the majority of men aren’t into exaggerated looks (overfilled lips, lashes doing backflips, or foundation so heavy it leaves a mark on their shirt. The ideal, to them, is effort that looks effortless.
4. Bad Personality / Rudeness / Entitlement
I think we can all agree that any kind of rudeness is instantly off-putting. It is one of those things that almost feels awkward to witness. Seeing someone talk down to a server, snap at a stranger, or treat people like they are beneath them gives you a front-row seat to their character… and it is rarely a good one.
Responses directly from men:
“Rude,” “Mean,” “Arrogant,” “Entitled,” “Disrespectful to parents,” “Treating service staff poorly.”
5. Attention-Seeking / Always on the Phone
Ladies, it’s simple. Your man wants YOUR attention. He does not want you to give you attention to other men. Literally, VICE VERSA.
Responses directly from men:
“Always on their phone,” “Too many selfies,” “Your need for attention,” “Constantly posting about themselves.”
6. Poor Communication / Lack of Interest
Responses directly from men:
“Poor communication,” “Lack of response,” “Never asking questions,” “Talking over you.”
The following 170+ responses show just how quickly attraction can shift; sometimes because of justified red flags, sometimes because of a tiny detail that breaks the illusion. Either way, these icks men have give us insight into what men value, what they avoid, and how they understand their behavior in early dating.
If you want to participate in future polls or read the full breakdowns, follow me on Instagram @StephanieDaily. Every week I share new data, new perspectives, and conversations that make dating make more sense!
The full list of 170+ icks men shared (unedited and unfiltered)
Wide brim hats but those look stupid on everyone
Ass hair
No long term deep friendships
Poor relationship with your family
Too much lip filler
Lack of gratitude!! I’ll always pay for the first part of a relationship, but at least say thx
Get a job
Botox in lips
Eating with mouth open
She has a manly walk
If she smells. She gotta figure that out on her own
Fake eyelashes. Very long fingernails. Too much makeup. Non-reader.
Oversized finger nails
Bad perfume!
Lip filler
Long face peach fuzz
Bad breathe
Smoking
hanging out with too many other man
being slutty - not properly dressed
smoking/drugs
too much makeup - even if its nude makeup - I fon't want a mouth full of paint when kissing
Always on their phone
Being disrespectful to her parents
Mustache, super thick/super thin eyebrows
Fish lip pose !!!!!
Floral Panties
Nipple hair 🤔
When she says “bro,” when she smokes/vapes, when she doesn’t smell nice
Mani and pedi are a must.
Tattoos. Septum piercing. Pro choice. Can’t cook. Bad with money (impulsive)
Bad teeth
Smoking cigarettes
When the phone is filled with selfies.
That her vagina smells like dead rotting fish
Smoking / vaping / using Zyn 🤢
"I only have guy friends, girls are too much drama"
A woman that doesn’t train or eat clean .
Bad breath
Lack of response and communication
Clean your damn car
Unkept nails. Hands & feet.
Girls who can be rude, and act entitled to ppl who work at restaurants, hotels etc 👎👎
She smells like rotten fish 😱
Bad hygiene.
Bad breath or body odor
Hairy p****
I’ll always pay but if she never offers to, huge red flag
Her smell downstairs.
over Filled lips 💋
A gummy smile
tantrums
Constantly comparing to other people
Whatever it is I don't hide it, I tell them upfront...that's being genuine and real
Lack of constantly touching us or being horny 24/7
Poor friends circle.
Lacking real goals. Nagging. Change in self care after commitment.
Poor hygiene. Bad sex. No empathy. Bad relationship with parents.
Always high maintenance. Weak values. Only negative talk of ex's. No cooking skill. Lack team vision
Dirty car. Sloppy drunk. Shinny shit chasing. Pick me mentality. Judgemental of others.
Nipple hair, anal hair, toe nails not painted, not showering before bed, poor hygiene, etc
Lip fillers
Grooming
Hair extensions/weaves
you’re going to want to sit down and have a seat for this one
Her puss smells
Women who date outside their race
Not reciprocating effort
Shlurring their ft (too lazy to not scrape their feet on the floor) also If they can't cook
Swearing, negativity, talking about ex, body odour
Smoking
Penis women with them are a turn off
Bad breath
High body count
Those stupid nose piercings
Bad breath
If Her masculine energy is high
Botox, lip injections, lip fillers, any plastic surgery. Wearing sports bra and leggings 24/7
Bad hair, clothes that are “trendy” but they don’t pull off at all lol
Too much makeup. Leaving smears or smudging on my clothing/sheets/pillow
Smoking.
Asking questions during a movie
Attention seekers
Arm pit hair
Ugly toes 🤧
Taking selfies every where
She has too much ass hair
Smelly private parts
Too many posts about themselves / narcissism
being so obviously financially and sexually transactional
Bad fingernails
Always on phone
Dirty feet
Talking over you/ acting “too” masculine
I’m 🤣 over the ass hair responses. Spitting straight facts
Smelly armpits
Dirty Box 🌮 I won't go there.
Religious beliefs
They sometime smell like BO too haha
Not taking care of their hands/nail biters
Bad grammar in texts
Being rude or mean, fucking gross
Bad teeth
Being unemployed or having a part time job at a min wage job
Bad breath, not shaving legs/hair growth, anything prickly on a girl’s skin
Stinky vagina
Your V-ja smells bad
Not showering daily
Couchie smell
Sour vag is a tough one to tell them
Woke who look round all the time to see if anyone is looking at them
Smoking
Conservatives. Moderates. Apolitical. Basically if you’re not against the status-quo
Cigarettes (vape is fine, don’t want to kiss an ashtray)
Not wanting children
The fact that dudes don’t like woman with peach fuzz shows they want a trophy
Bad tastes, bad smells, and strange/annoying se* noises
Dandruff and facial hair.
Greasy Hair
Bad breath ?
Noisy eaters. Women not situational aware, lack of manners.
Bad Teeth, gum to teeth ratio, “shy” eating on the first date, poor communication skills
Too much make up.
Smelly armpits
Dirty Box 🌮 I won't go there.
Religious beliefs
They sometime smell like BO too haha
Not taking care of their hands/nail biters
Bad grammar in texts
Being rude or mean, fucking gross
Bad teeth
Arrogance. Confidence is sexy, arrogance is a instant turnoff/ick
Blackheads
Interrupting human conversation to talk to an animal
brush your teeth, hygiene is key. speaking proper english or whatever language
Self centred
Too much make up.
Toe nail polish GAPS 🤣🤢
Not shaving down below
Bad hygiene. Excessive drinking. Ungratefulness. Rudeness. Liberals
Smoking...
Stinky #%£€
As Madonna sang. Material girl.
Dating minorities in the past
Celeb or Influencer idolizing, believing everything you see on the Internet is real
Ass crack hair
Unpleasant scents... downtown
Posting an ‘ick’ list on the Internet is actually pretty high on the ick list. Seriously.
Bad odors!
Smelly breath, hairy nipples, cutting you off when you are speaking
Calling me Bro
Baggy Jeans 👖
Hairy armpits
Smoking cigarettes or vaping
When I look at their hands or feet and cant tell if its a woman's, or if its a small Asian man's.
Does nothing for herself. Like is helpless
Fingers and toes crusty
The spray tan ruining sheets and pillows for sure
Hair extensions / fake lips but fake lips good for bjs from ex gf hoes
Dingleberries. We see/smell them
Stupidity and overall lack of intelligence/ common sense
Talking with an upward inflection - heavy valley girl accent 😂
Women complaining about dating or being single
Wearing too much makeup
I’m just gonna say it. 🤷🏻♂️. Why hide it? I hope they’d do the same.
Never asking a follow up question. It's as easy as saying "And what about you?"
Super long finger nails
Your need for attention is a turn off
Socks in bed, what are you hiding on your feet?
Smoking/hygiene & appearance, look sexy not sloppy
Stanky⬇️⬇️⬇️
