If you have recently noticed a guy touching himself while around you, you’re probably wondering why he does it and what it might mean.

This post will try to help you figure out why a guy might touch himself while around you and to help you to understand the meaning as it happens in the future.

So, what does it mean if a guy touches himself in front of you? It could mean that he likes you especially if he only does it around you, he does it on multiple occasions and he shows other signs of attraction around you. He might also be nervous, annoyed, frustrated or he might just have an itch.

Since there are a number of reasons why a guy might touch himself in front of you it is important to consider how he did it and the other body language signals that he showed.

By doing so you will be able to get a better idea of the motivations that he had behind doing it.

Reasons why a guy will touch himself in front of you

Each of the reasons why a guy will touch himself in front of you will likely come with a number of clues in his body language.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons why a guy will touch himself in front of you and the body language signals to look for with them.

He’s attracted to you

If it only seems to be you that he touches himself around then it could be the case that he finds you attractive.

If he does then it would be likely that he would show multiple signs of attraction in his body language and behavior.

These signs can include:

  • Having dilated pupils when around you
  • Pointing his feet at you even when he’s not directly in front of you
  • Adjusting his clothing or hair as soon as he notices you
  • Looking at you often and quickly looking away when you notice
  • Asking your friends about you
  • Holding eye contact with you for longer than normal
  • Showing signs of nervousness when around you which can include rubbing the face, arms, neck or legs
  • Mirroring your body language
  • Getting anxious when you’re with other men
  • Speaking with a deeper voice than normal
  • Laughing and looking at you
  • Standing close to you
  • Positioning himself to be near you

He’s nervous

One reason that a guy might touch himself when he is with you could be that he is nervous.

If he is nervous then it would be more likely that he would rub his face, arms, legs or neck or that he would be touching those areas.

If he is doing it due to being nervous then it could also be a sign that he is attracted to you. If he is then it would be likely that he would show a number of the body language signals of attraction mentioned above.

If he is doing it due to being nervous then it would be likely that he would show signs of being nervous in a number of other ways such as:

  • Rubbing the eyes
  • Blinking more frequently
  • Speaking with a higher pitched voice than normal
  • Struggling to hold eye contact
  • Fidgeting
  • Dry mouth
  • Coughing
  • Quivering below the eyes or mouth
  • Standing or sitting in a way that makes the body appear small
  • Tapping the feet or fingers

He’s mad

One reason that he might touch himself is that he is mad.

It could be that he is mad at you or that he is mad at someone else and it would likely be apparent based on recent events.

If he is mad then he would be more likely to be touching the face and showing numerous other signs of being mad which can include:

  • Clenching the fists
  • Tightening the jaw
  • Tight lips
  • Showing the teeth
  • Staring
  • Making the body appear bigger
  • Redness of the face
  • Visible veins
  • Tensing of the muscles
  • Tightening of the eyebrows

He’s frustrated

One reason that a guy might touch himself when he is around you might be that he is frustrated.

If that is the case then it would be likely that something would have recently happened that would make him frustrated. It would also be more likely that he would be holding his hands against his head in some way.

He had an itch

It could just be the case that he had an itch that he needed to satisfy.

If that was the case then he probably would have done it only once or twice over a short time frame and that it would have been more vigorous.

He would also likely have had a more neutral appearing body language where he didn’t show numerous signs of attraction, frustration or of being mad.

Consider how often he does it

When trying to figure out why he might have touched himself while with you it would be helpful to consider how often he did it.

If he only did it once then it would make it more likely that he had an itch or that he needed to readjust his clothing.

Whereas if he did it multiple times or it lasted over an extended period then it would be more likely that he did it due to attraction, frustration or being mad. It would be necessary for you to consider how he did it and his body language to figure out which.

Consider how he touched himself

It would also be important to consider how he touched himself.

If he touched his crotch area then it would make it more likely that he either did it due to having an itch or being attracted to you.

If he was touching himself by rubbing the arms, legs, face or neck then it would make it much more likely that he was feeling nervous. This could suggest that he did it due to finding you attractive but you would need to consider the other body language signals that he shows around you.

Whereas, if he was touching or covering his head in some way then it would make it more likely that he was either mad or frustrated.

Consider when and where he did it

Another thing to think about would be the timing and location of how he did it.

If he touched himself while you were both alone together and he did it after showing multiple signs of attraction then it would be more likely that he sub-consciously did it to draw attention to the crotch area.

Whereas, if he did it in public then it would be more likely that he either had an itch, was mad or was frustrated but he still might have been attracted to you which is why it’s important to consider the body language signals that he showed.

Think about what your relationship with him is like

It would also help to think about what your relationship with him is like.

If you have been dating him for a while then it would be more likely that he either had an itch or that he did it due to being attracted to you.

Whereas, if you haven’t met him before then it would either be the case that he has very little social awareness depending on how he touched himself or that he did it for one of the other reasons already mentioned.

In this case, you would really need to consider what all of his body language signals where suggesting and how often and in what way he touched himself.

Think about his normal behavior

When trying to make sense of a guy’s body language signals it would be helpful to know what his normal body language and behavior looks like.

If he only touches himself a certain way around you and his behavior and body language changes when he notices you then it would be much more likely that he finds you attractive.

If he does it around other women and his body language doesn’t change around you then it would be more likely that he is inconsiderate but it may or may not mean that he did it for one of the reasons already mentioned. It would be necessary for you to consider the timing and the way that he does it to figure out why.

Consider clusters of body language

When trying to make sense of a guy’s body language it would be necessary to think about it in terms of clusters of body language and not single pieces of body language.

There are often multiple reasons why a guy might show particular body language signals which can make it difficult to make reliable conclusions. However, when a guy shows multiple pieces of body language that all point to the same thing it would be a much more reliable indicator of his mood.

If you want to learn more about body language, a book I would recommend would be The Definitive Book of Body Language (on Amazon). It shows you how to interpret body language and understand people's true intentions.

Author

I created and currently manage Body Language Central, one of the premier sources for body language-related knowledge. Body language plays a key role in our daily lives. I hope that my website can help condense the wide amount of body language information available and allow you to make full use of it in your daily life. You can read more about me and my website here.