Why this Kiwi is auctioning off his chest hair for charity

Auckland filmmaker Harley Neville is auctioning off ad space on his hairy chest to help other hairy primates. Photo / Supplied

Harley Neville hasn't always been comfortable with his extremely hairy body.

He's come a long way from the 14-year-old boy who used to burn his chest hair off with a lighter in an attempt to look more attractive to girls on the beach.

Having fully embraced his hairy body (no doubt helped by the viral popularity he encountered after being featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show), the Auckland filmmaker is auctioning off a section of his hairy chest as branding space for a company.

Neville is pretty casual about the whole thing. After finding a fair degree of online popularity, some people started suggesting other ways he could use his "fame". When someone suggested auctioning off a part of his hairy chest on TradeMe, he thought "it sounded like fun".

"I've been very hairy for a very long time and always wondered 'how is this going to help me someday?'," he told the Herald.

Neville felt like he needed a bigger reason to do it, though, so he decided to combine it with helping a charity he already supported: The Orangutan Project.

Neville knows his time in the spotlight is limited so thought he'd make the most of it by helping "other hairy primates".

"You only get 15 seconds of fame and I'm at about 14 seconds."

"I thought it'd be a good idea to sacrifice some of my foliage to save the rainforest," he explained.

While beards seem to be back in style, the same can't be said for a full body covered in hair. Neville hopes to change that a little.

He's received a number of supportive messages online - and even the odd flirty one from women who clearly don't mind a hairy chest. But it hasn't been all positive as he's also had some "disgruntled beard lovers complaining" about him shaving.

"I assure them it grows back like a weed," he says.

The man who used to hate his hairy body as a teenager has now well and truly embraced his "foliage".

"Beards are in but hairy shoulders are still out," he jokes. "I'm bringing hairy backs back."

His TradeMe auction, which closes on Sunday afternoon, offers the highest bidder a chance to have the company logo shaved on Harley's hairy chest.

"I will shave your logo into my chest hair and post the images on my social media, I will also provide high-quality professional photos for your own use wherever you see fit," he says.

"It gets better, I will give 50 per cent of the money raised to The Orangutan Project, a charity helping save Orangutans and the forests they live in. The other 50 per cent goes to the guy who's probably going to end up with the Brazzers logo on his chest."

Fair enough, he reckons.

Neville says he doesn't really mind which logo ends up on his chest but he'd definitely prefer an ethically conscious company.

"No swastikas, McDonald's 'M's or other symbols of hate," he writes in the auction.

He won't even mind if the winner wants a "hairy phallus" shaved on his chest - as long as he gets a fair bit of money to help save the rainforest.

Neville who, ironically, is bald, doesn't have much of a body haircare routine but does need to do things a bit differently: "I use body wash for my head and shampoo for my body."

He hopes his newfound online popularity will help other fellow hairy men embrace their looks.

"It's scary to be this hairy in a world of shaved apes. To all fellow hairy men, embrace it. Wear a singlet."