As most women know (and I’m hoping most men as well), ovulation is the process in a female’s menstrual cycle when a mature egg is released from the ovary, pushed down the fallopian tube, and is available to be fertilized.  Essentially, it’s when a woman is the most fertile and able to get pregnant.  But, did you know that it’s during this period of ovulation when lap dancers get more tips?

In 2007, Geoffrey Miller, Joshua M. Tybur, and Brent D. Jordan studied the ovulatory cycle effects on tip earnings by professional lap dancers working in gentlemen’s clubs.  Eighteen dancers recorded their menstrual periods, work shifts, and tip earnings for 60 days.  A mixed-model analysis of 296 work shifts (representing about 5,300 lap dances) showed an interaction between cycle phase and hormonal contraception use (aka the use of the pill).  Normally cycling participants earned about $335/shift during estrus, $260/shift during the luteal phase, and $185/shift during menstruation.  This means that lap dancers that danced during their ovulatory shift earned between $90-$170 more than when they were not ovulating.  By contrast, the pill users had no mid-cycle peak in tip earnings.

But the question still remains – why do lap dancers get more tips when they are ovulating?  During ovulation, the waist is narrower, breast and facial symmetry is increased, body scent is enhanced, and verbal creativity and fluency are heightened.  Women also feel sexier and are therefore more likely to dress sexier.  While men could also be more attracted to the presence of pheromones during female ovulation, women also walk more frequently during the ovulatory shift, which as a result, increases their energy.  Crazy, right?  To all my working grrls, keep this in mind!

Yours truly,
Scarlett Stone

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