Okay, I know that a “beauty mark” tastefully sported on the flawless faces of supermodels, like Cindy Crawford, further defines their beauty. But, when you have 40-year-old Asian men trying to sport a hairy Marilyn Monroe, it doesn’t quite have the same aesthetic appeal. Simply put, it’s gross. Still, I had to investigate this curious phenomenon.
Myths exist in various cultures to define good vs. evil, bad luck vs. good luck, prosperity vs. poverty. Asian cultures in particular focus on physical traits as an indicator of a person’s future. For example, large earlobes tend to signify a sign of wealth, a wide nose a sign of future prosperity. But perhaps the most curious of these facial feng shui trends is: the hairy mole.
If you spot an Asian man sporting a hairy mole, you’d better assume he’s hitting the jackpot, scoring with the women, and living on top of the world. Why? Legend has it that hairy moles are a sign of good luck. The longer the measly strands of hair are, the luckier you are. So, whatever you do, don’t pluck it!
To get a deeper understanding of this phenomenon, I consulted yahooanswers. Unfortunately, my otherwise trusty source of life answers proved unsatisfactory. I’m sorry yahooanswers, but I don’t think a scientific explanation of melanoma and skin cancer really emphasizes the “luck” in a hairy mole. Nor does age and indifference to appearance explain it–trust me, I’ve seen many a young man sporting the “lucky mole.”
Finally, I found a satisfying explanation for this lucky mole phenomenon. According to Chinese Fortune Calendar, hair indicates the mole is alive and, therefore, a “good” mole.
Until the luck of a hairy mole can be disproved, the myth will continue. Asian men around the world will continue to groom their most prized physical trait, and I will continue to refrain from all temptation to put my tweezers to use.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
hmm i have a mole on my arm, i wonder how much luck that’s brought me
this post actually reminds me of the ‘mole’ in austin powers mole mole mole….
It appears that some people are trying to justify those physical traits by deeming them “lucky”.
Probably a case of “whatever helps you sleep at night”
I’m Philippina, born and raised. I have a large mole on my cheek that is raised and covered with hairs. It’s located where Liz Taylor has her facial mole but mine is larger. The hairs are velus hairs (baby hairs) that grow out in a swirl about an inch in length. My mother taught me to leave them alone so they’d remain soft and fine. She did say it was good luck though. I’m in my early 30′s now and they are still very soft and fine. My aunt used to trim her mole hiars and they became very course. Since coming to the States a few have made rude remarks to me but I don’t want to tamper with my mole hairs. My boyfriend is Amercian and he thinks my mole is a beauty mark and likes to stroke it. Others have complimented me about it too but a couple suggested I remove the hairs. Back home everyone told me it was a beauty mark and had no problem with the hairs.