Grow Facial Hair - Why Can"t I?
Often this is a question asked by young men in their teens who feel anxious because their peers seem to be able to grow full beards whereas they can barely cultivate a few sparse tufts.
However, the question is also frequently asked by older men who feel a little insecure about their "baby-face" features that have remained well into adulthood.
Men who have difficulty growing a beard invariably want to know whether something is wrong with them and whether their lack of hair is related to some more serious medical condition.
Only a GP can advise whether there is a more serious medical condition lurking in the wings, but the single most common reason that men can't grow facial hair is simply because of their individual genetic characteristics.
Teenage boys should always be patient before worrying about their facial baldness.
Genetic particularities determine when each individual goes through puberty, which hair traits they will exhibit and the time in which facial hair characteristics will develop.
Some boys will develop dense hair from only 13 or 14 years of age whereas others won't start to see signs of growth until the late teens and, in rare cases, early 20s.
The important point for teenagers therefore is to take a 'wait-and-see' attitude before desperately asking why they can't grow facial hair.
However, for men in their mid to late 20s and onwards who developed normally through puberty but still can't grow facial hair, a wait-and-see approach will clearly no longer be appropriate.
In the vast majority of cases, the reason that older men can't grow a beard is down to genetics.
Each person has a different genetic code which determines every characteristic from hair and eye colour to natural strength and size.
Genetics are also responsible for dictating whether a man will or won't be able to grow facial hair.
It is however important to note that in a small number of cases, men may be suffering from conditions such as hormonal imbalances which may only be identified and rectified by medical professionals.
Hormonal conditions are more likely where there are several identifiable symptoms such as stunted growth, complete lack of body hair, undescended testes and a high pitch un-broken voice.
In cases where the only identified symptom is a lack of facial hair, genetics are the most likely culprit.
Once genetics has been identified as the reason why a man can't grow facial hair, the question is what can be done.
A person's genetic makeup cannot itself be changed but there may be ways in which facial hair can be artificially stimulated.
Growfacialhair.
com provides details of one such method which has demonstrated positive results.