Facial Hair.

[dennis08]

What determines the growth of facial hair? I am 17 and have my whole face covered with little black and white hairs.

How long do you think it will take for me to grow it all out to the full amount and full color?

[Shamou]

DNA has all that programmed...

Personally I was somewhere between 22 and 25 before my facial hair reached its full potential... which... BTW it's not all that much...

I have a very full head of hair however not much body or facial hair... growing a full beard would be impossible... however, I enjoy a short 20 seconds shave... which is very nice...
.

[Ilya]

The hair growth is genetic. However, the way you treat it in the first years affects the way it is later in life.
I don't quite get what you mean by your face being covered. Do you shave? If your facial hair has started to grow, you should shave. It is not good to wait for it to mature - it will take ages and the beard may remain thin.
Regular shaving will stimulate the hair, but don't expect bushy mustache or beard too soon.
Mine has matured around 25 years old. By that time I didn't want to have any of it on my face

Also, if you shave with the razor, try to do it properly - along the hair. Avoid the temptation to shave sideways even if it makes the skin extra smooth. The hair gets accustomed to the shave direction and sideways shaving turns from the option to necessity. I did this mistake, now I use the electric shaver because I just can't shave my neck sideways without cutting myself in several places.

[WanderingOak]

I first started getting stubble and had to start shaving when I was 14. I'm part Italian and part Werewolf (it does grow faster during the full moon) so that is to be expected. By the time I was 16, I had to shave daily and was getting a four-o-clock shadow by the end of the day. Nobody would believe my age, which would have been good for buying cigarettes or alchohol, but bad for getting a discount going to a movie theater. I had some interesting arguments with some 'get out the vote' volunteers, trying to get me to register when I wasn't even 17 yet.

I would follow the advice of others in this forum and start shaving. I could have started gowing a full beard when I was 14, but it would not have looked right until I was older.

[Matthew Shea]

I tried growing a mustache when I was your age, Dennis. No one noticed.

Just keep shaving for now. Your hair will continue to thicken for a while yet, at least into your mid 20's if your experience matches mine. Even so, not everyone has good facial hair. I can grow a full beard just fine but some friends, or even my dad, have very patchy hair that doesn't look good when grown out. If you turn out to be that way, don't worry about it. You'll always be in the majority in the Western world.

[The David]

I started growing 'peach fuzz' when I was 14, but was generally hairless other than that (facially, that is). I am 19 now and have only shaven a few times in my life, and I must say, it is all very thin. I had always heard that shaving = increased hair growth was a myth.

[Ilya]

Originally Posted by The David

I had always heard that shaving = increased hair growth was a myth.

Tell that to the girls trying to keep their legs smooth with the razors.
Shaving may not increase hair quantity or growth speed, but it definitely makes hair thicker, more pigmented etc. Overall visual result is - thicker hair.
On male face, shaving alone is not enough for hair maturity, you need time as well.

[openeyes]

My dad didn't have a full beard until his mid-20s, even though he was 6'4'' at 14. It's kind of fun to be able to grow one, but most people shave anyhow, and those with less hair have an easier time of it.