Men admit their secret body hang-ups

Weight gain and hair loss were common topics on a forum where men discussed body concerns. Photo / Getty

A social media discussion has revealed that when it comes to appearance, men are just as self-conscious as women.

The talk included everything from pressure to have six-pack abs, to fears about penis size and excessive sweating.

The discussion kicked off on Reddit after one user posted the question, "To all the guys out there, what are you most self-conscious about?"

The thread attracted more than 5700 starkly honest comments.

One commenter wrote, "I've got gynecomastia, breast tissue development in males, it's incredibly difficult to get dressed in the morning. There is basically one type of shirt you can wear, that is the dark colour with thick fabric. And still, the puffy protruding nipples are noticeable. If you want to ruin a guy's young life give him gyno".

Others discussed height and posture issues.

"What my face looks like from the side," said one man as he reflected on body hang-ups.

"The majority of the times I see my own face is head on in a mirror, so whenever I see myself from the side I think I look weird. Also I have bad posture, neck sticks too far forward."

"How I smell," wrote another man. "I follow all the rules for hygiene, but I can still smell myself often and it freaks me out. Especially once I start sweating a bit."

Acne was another key concern, with some saying nothing had helped the problem, while others believe a low carb diet helped to keep spots at bay.

Baldness was mentioned often, with one man lamenting that if you don't have the right head shape for hair loss, you end up looking like a "giant toe."

Too much body hair, a lack of a social life, fears about being considered boring, and even being bad at sports all got mentions in the online forum.

And it seems, weight is a universal concern for both sexes, with one man saying he dislikes his thighs.

"I can't wear regular fit jeans unless the waist is a larger size. Loose fit is my life..."

"The struggle is real," wrote another, "keep looking and when you find a pair that works buy like 4 pairs, the crotch always gets worn down for me from my thighs rubbing together... "

-nzherald.co.nz