Male Facial Hair Growth

Facial hair growth is known as a secondary sex characteristic, and might best be thought of as a side effect of the muscular growth and sexual maturation of puberty.

Purpose

Facial hair is largely vestigial in modern humans, but may have originally provided our ancestors with some protection against skin chafing and extreme cold.

Androgen Sensitivity

All hair growth is dictated by the amount of androgens (steroids) produced by the body. The more sensitive an area of the body is to androgens, the sooner thick hair starts to grow there. The face is less sensitive to androgen than the head, and more sensitive than the rest of the body.

Order of Growth

The usual order of hair growth on males during puberty begins at the corners of the lips, followed by the upper lip, upper cheeks, lower lip and lower chin.

Length

Facial hair in most does not have a terminal limit in the way that armpit or pubic hair does, and can grow as long as it is allowed to.

Graying

Facial hair will generally tend to gray before head hair, but will retain its color longer in the mustache and lower chin areas.

References

• Palo Alto Medical Foundation
• Male Pattern Baldness
• Puberty 101

Resources

• Facial Hair: Alpha M Image Consulting (Video)