Grow Facial Hair

Young man with no facial hair
Photo: Viktoriia Hnatiuk/Shutterstock
Q: At what age does a man usually get notable facial hair? I’m 16 already and all of my peers have facial hair. I would like to grow a beard. My puberty seemed normal: my voice changed at 13, and I developed armpit and pubic hair around age 12. I still don’t have body hair: no leg hair, chest hair, back hair, arm hair, neck hair, shoulder hair, or facial hair. Please don’t tell me how great it is not to have it. I really want to be hairy.
 
A: Well, puberty is the biological process of sexual maturation that takes place during adolescence, and it doesn't happen at exactly the same pace or in exactly the same order for everyone. During this time, the body begins undergoing changes, many of which you are already aware of.
 
For me, I got my hair in the pits and pubes around 12, but my voice didn’t break until I was 15 and changed twice more by the time I was 18. I was 18 when I began getting decent chest hair, and I was 25 before I could grow a decent beard.
 

Why Facial and Body Hair Take Longer

Facial hair and general body hair almost always appear much later in the puberty timeline compared to pubic and armpit hair. This is because facial hair depends on a specific hormone derivative called DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and on how sensitive your hair follicles become to it over time.
 
That sensitivity often takes years to develop. Some men don't see real beard growth or chest hair until their late teens or even midway through their twenties. So at 16, lacking facial hair does not mean you'll never be able to grow a beard.
 

Look at Both Sides of Your Family Tree

To get a clearer picture of what your future might look like, check out the adult men on both sides of your family: your dad, your mom’s brothers, your grandfathers, and older cousins. Your genetic traits for hair density and growth patterns are inherited from both parents, not just your father’s side. There is no guarantee that you’ll develop hair just like any of them, since pubertal timing is a complicated genetic mix, but family patterns give you a realistic preview of what's biologically possible for you.
 
If your male relatives had lots of hair, then there is a good possibility that you just need to wait a bit longer for your hair follicles to catch up. But even if your relatives aren't particularly hairy, at 16 it is still far too early to conclude that you won't grow a beard.
 

When to Ask a Doctor

Because you say you have essentially no body or facial hair yet, it is reasonable to mention it to your doctor. A doctor can check your overall growth and pubertal progress (looking at factors like height spurts and testicular development) to confirm everything is moving along normally.
 
The absence of a beard by itself is rarely a sign of a hormone issue if your voice has already deepened and you've had other pubertal changes, but a quick checkup can give you peace of mind.
 
This answer is intended for informational purposes only. For medical advice or a diagnosis, contact a doctor.
 
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See also:
 
How fast do all areas of facial hair grow?
 
When does an average male face start having hair?
 
How many hair follicles does a person gain at the onset of puberty?