Top turn-offs: Body odour, nose-picking and making bad jokes are most annoying habits
Poor personal hygiene, nose-picking and making inappropriate jokes have been deemed some of the most off-putting habits in a relationship.
A new study has revealed that one in four Brits admit to being irritated by a partner's behaviour or habits, known as 'getting the ick'.
For women, the bugbear came on a lot sooner with over a quarter saying it started within just one month of dating, whereas for men over a quarter said it was after a year.
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The younger age group of 18-34-year-olds were more likely to be irritated by a partner with more than a third saying they had experienced it compared to the national average of just over a quarter.
Interestingly, adults who’d been through a divorce or separation appeared to 'get the ick' later on, with 30% saying it didn’t appear until after a year of dating.
For women, bad habits such as nose-picking or snorting were the biggest sources of annoyance (43%), whereas for men personal hygiene issues such as body odour, not cleaning your teeth or a messy house were the worst turn-offs (29%).
But was there any coming back once 'the ick' had occurred? For men, they were far more likely to try (34%) compared to women with only 24% trying. Over one in ten (12%) who worked through it are still in a relationship with that person.
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Dating expert, Anna Williamson says, “Getting ‘the ick’ doesn’t have to mean the end of your relationship. Work out what it is that’s making you feel that way and then have an open conversation. For example, if you don’t enjoy their chat-up lines, gently tell them. If it’s their personal hygiene, it really doesn’t have to be awkward, use it as an opportunity to jump in the shower together."
The results of the survey, commissioned by feminine care brand WooWoo, also revealed insights into confidence in the bedroom. Sadly, still almost half of women (47%) felt awkward or that their body was a disappointment and this was highest in the younger generation of 18-24-year-olds.
On an encouraging note, almost the same amount of men declared that they weren’t concerned about looks in the bedroom, for them the most important part was how the act felt.
"It is hard to hear though that women still don’t have confidence in themselves but remember just because you don’t see yourself as sexy doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t," says Williamson. "Work on your own self-esteem first and then set out what you want from the dating scene. Trust me there is nothing more attractive than a woman who is honest and authentic.”
