Have you ever wondered what the ideal male buttocks look like? A recent study published in the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery delves into this very question, offering fresh insights into what people consider the most attractive male buttocks. The results indicate that the perfect male backside isn’t too flat or too protrusive but strikes a balance with a moderate projection and a defined shape. However, these preferences appear to vary based on age, culture, and other factors.
The drive to understand the ideal male buttocks aesthetic comes from an observed gap in existing research. While numerous studies have focused on defining the perfect female buttocks, little to no research has been directed towards understanding what constitutes an attractive male buttocks.
This lack of data stands out, especially considering the rising trend of men undergoing cosmetic procedures, including buttock enhancement. In 2019 alone, nearly 1.1 million cosmetic surgeries were performed on male patients in the United States. As more men seek these surgeries, understanding their aesthetic preferences becomes crucial for both surgeons and patients aiming for satisfactory outcomes.
“Male aesthetic surgery and gender affirming surgery are on the increase in the United States,” said study author Ash Patel (@ashpatelmd), a professor of surgery at Duke University Medical Center. “There is a scarcity of objective information in the published literature that defines the ideal shape and proportion of the male buttock. This information is important to help guide patients and surgeons as they consider their goals related to surgery. This topic interested me because it was not a well-studied area within plastic surgery.”
For their study, the researchers designed a detailed questionnaire asking participants to rate images of male buttocks based on attractiveness. They obtained data from 822 female respondents and 1,273 male respondents.
Participants were first asked to provide information about their body type, selecting from ectomorph, mesomorph, or endomorph categories, which are general classifications used to describe different body shapes and compositions. They also reported their weight and height, allowing researchers to calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI), a standard measure used to categorize weight in relation to height. This preliminary information was crucial for stratifying the data analysis later on, enabling the study to account for potential biases in aesthetic preferences based on respondents’ own body perceptions.
Following these introductory questions, the questionnaire presented respondents with images of male buttocks that had been digitally altered to represent a range of aesthetic variations. These images were designed to showcase different lateral thigh-to-buttock ratios, oblique projection angles, and Gluteal Trochanteric Indexes (GTIs), which are measurements that describe the buttocks’ projection, volume, and the degree of concavity at the hip, respectively. Respondents rated these images on a scale from 1 to 5.
To ensure a diverse and representative sample, the survey was distributed using Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), a popular platform for conducting online surveys. MTurk is known for its ability to reach a wide array of participants, making it an ideal choice for studies seeking varied demographic input. Only individuals aged 18 and above and residing in the United States were eligible to participate.
One of the key findings was the preferred lateral thigh-to-buttock ratio, with 1.18 emerging as the favored measurement. This ratio indicates a moderate projection from the side view, suggesting that respondents found a slightly protruding but not excessively prominent buttock to be most attractive. Ratios higher than 1.18 (such as 1.20 and 1.22) also received high attractiveness scores, indicating a tolerance for slightly more projection, but the overwhelming preference was for a ratio that implied a balanced and natural enhancement.
From an oblique perspective, the ideal projection angle was identified as 60 degrees. This angle represents a moderate level of fullness and curvature, highlighting a preference for buttocks that are neither too flat nor too voluminous. The study also found that a Gluteal Trochanteric Index (GTI) of 0.66 was preferred, suggesting that a certain degree of concavity at the trochanteric depression (the area around the hip bone) is desirable. This specific GTI value supports the notion that a well-defined hip contour is part of the perceived ideal male buttock aesthetic.
“There are certain features that make up the ideal appearance of a male buttock, especially the presence of ‘hip dips,’ which are an important difference in the appearance between male and female buttocks,” Patel told PsyPost.
Notably, there was no significant difference in preferences between male and female respondents, indicating a general consensus on the attractiveness of certain buttock characteristics. But the researchers did uncover some variations in preferences across different demographic groups, based on factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), and cultural background.
Younger respondents, particularly those between 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 years old, showed a preference for slightly higher lateral thigh-to-buttock ratios and oblique projection angles, suggesting a favor for a more pronounced buttock projection. In contrast, older age groups tended to prefer more moderate projections, with those between 45 and 54 years old favoring the lowest ratios and angles.
Individuals with a normal weight BMI showed a preference for the moderate lateral thigh-to-buttock ratio of 1.18, aligning with the overall study findings. In contrast, obese, overweight, and underweight respondents preferred a higher ratio, indicating a desire for a more pronounced buttock projection. This might reflect a subconscious desire to balance body proportions or enhance physical attributes that are culturally or personally deemed attractive.
African American respondents preferred the largest lateral thigh-to-buttock ratios and oblique projection angles, suggesting a cultural appreciation for more prominent buttock features. Conversely, Asian and White respondents showed a preference for more moderate projections. Sexual orientation also influenced aesthetic preferences, with gay and bisexual respondents generally preferring larger ratios and angles compared to heterosexual respondents.
“There are differences in ideal buttock appearance based on race and sexual preference, but not on gender identity,” Patel said.
Despite its comprehensive approach, the study — like all research — has limitations. The reliance on self-reported data and the use of digitally altered images to represent only a few variations of buttock shapes could affect the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the study’s focus on participants from the United States means that cultural differences in aesthetic preferences might not be fully represented.
“While we obtained 2,095 survey responses, the survey responses were all in the US, and so may not apply to preferences in other countries,” Patel said.
Future research could benefit from including a broader range of physical characteristics, exploring preferences in different cultural contexts, and employing three-dimensional models to provide a more dynamic representation of the buttocks. This could help to further refine the understanding of male buttock aesthetics and cater to a more diverse patient population.
The long-term goals for this line of research involve deepening our understanding of “what the public perception of plastic surgery is, and what the public sees as the ideal appearance of the human body (considering differences between gender and racial preferences),” Patel explained.
The study, “Defining the Ideal Male Buttocks“, was authored by Tejas Kollu, Tinatini Giutashvili, Deepa Bhat, Craig Fournier, and Ashit Patel.
