Facial hair

A man with a fullbeard

Facial hairishairgrown on theface,usually on the chin, cheeks, and upper lip region. It is typically asecondary sex characteristicof humanmales.Mentypically start developing facial hair in the later stages ofpubertyoradolescence,around fifteen years of age, and most do not finish developing a full adult beard until around eighteen or later. However, large variations can occur; boys as young as eleven have also been known to develop facial hair,and some men do not produce much facial hair at all.

Men maystyle their facial hairintobeards,moustaches,goateesorsideburns;many others completelyshavetheir facial hair and this is referred to as being "clean-shaven". The termwhiskers,when used to refer to human facial hair, indicates the hair on the chin and cheeks.

Womenare also capable of developing facial hair, especially aftermenopause,though typically significantly less than men. Women with lots of facial hair, the extreme beingbearded ladies,have been considered asfreaksby society and sometimes been part ofcircuses.Trans mentypically develop more facial hair while undergoingmasculinizing hormone therapyas part of their wider gender transition.

History

In the West in the nineteenth century, most men maintained some facial hair. According to a 1976 study byUniversity of Washingtoneconomist Dwight Robinson, who reviewed illustrations in theIllustrated London News,facial hair peaked in the 1880s (90%). The wearing of beards dropped significantly, although mustaches remained popular until the 1940s.

In male adolescence

Abraham Lincolnis said to have grown hisbeardon the recommendation of the eleven-year-oldGrace Bedell.

The moustache forms its own stage in the development of facial hair inadolescentmales.Facial hair in males does not always appear in a specific orderduring pubertyand varies but may follow this process:

• During puberty, the first facial hair to appear tends to grow at the corners of the upper lip (age 11–15).
• It then spreads to form a moustache over the entire upper lip (age 16–17).
• This is followed by the appearance of hair on the upper part of the cheeks and the area under the lower lip (age 16–18).
• It eventually spreads to the sides and lower border of the chin and the rest of the lower face to form a full beard (age 17–21).

Although this order is commonly seen, it can vary widely, with some facial hair starting from the chin and up towards the sideburns. As with most human biological processes, this specific order may vary depending on one's genetic heritage or environment.

Military

Main article:Facial hair in the military

Depending on the periods and countries, facial hair has been prohibited in armies or, on the contrary, an integral part of the uniform.

In religions

Many religious male figures are recorded to have had facial hair; for example, numerous prophets mentioned in theAbrahamic religions(Judaism,ChristianityandIslam) were known to grow beards.Sikhismmandates growing beards; in Shia Islam, trimming beards is allowed butshaving them is forbidden.Amishmen grow beards after marriage, but continue to shave their moustaches in order to avoid historical associations with military facial hair due to their pacifistic beliefs. InSikhism,one of theFive Ksfollowed byKhalsaSikhsiskesh,which forbids the cutting or shaving of hair, both scalp and facial.

On women

Women typically have little hair on the face, apart fromeyebrowsand thevellus hairthat covers most of the body. However, in some cases, women have noticeable facial hair growth, most commonly after menopause. Excessive hairiness (especially facially) is known ashirsutismand is usually an indication of atypicalhormonalvariation. Many womendepilatefacial hair that appears, as considerablesocial stigmais associated with facial hair on women, andfreak showsandcircuseshave historically displayedbearded women.Many women globally choose to totally remove their facial hair by means ofelectrolysis(permanent) orlaser hair removal(semi-permanent).

Styles of facial hair

Main article:List of facial hairstyles

In non-human great apes

Adultorangutanshave varying degrees of facial hair. Inchimpanzeesandgorillas,facial and body hair become sparser in adulthood due to the aging process, which is in stark contrast tohumans,whose facial and body hair become stronger. Because infant greatapeshave thicker "facial" (as well as body) hair than their older counterparts, it is not androgenic but part of the fur complex. The sensitivity to androgens seems to have been acquired by humans on the geneKRT37relatively recently.

Primates

Primates such as thebearded emperor tamarinhave what look like whiskers.

See also

• Eyebrow
• Whiskers

Further reading

• Jack Passion,The Facial Hair Handbook,Jack Passion, LLC; First edition (2009).ISBN978-0-87975-551-5.

External links

• Facial hairatCurlie