Last updated on August 3, 2020
Question
What is the average age for facial hair? When do most teenagers begin to grow facial hair?
Answer
On average a young man starts growing facial hair around 15 to 16 years of age. It starts in the fourth stage in Tanner’s Stages of Puberty. Because boys start puberty at different ages and progress at different rates, it is considered normal to have facial hair as young as 11 or to not start developing facial hair until as late as 17. To estimate what stage of development you are in, see the Tanner Stage Calculator for Boys.
You also must consider genetics as well. Some men, such as those native to the Philippines, have very little body hair and almost no facial hair. Others, such as northern Europeans, have an abundance of body and facial hair. Even if you inherit the genes for lots of facial hair, all the hair follicles on your face do not develop at once. They will come in a little at a time, giving you a scraggly look. Generally, facial hair first shows up on the upper lips, near the chin, and beside your ears. It then spreads across the face thinly and then fills in thicker. It takes several years after facial hair first appears before you will be able to grow a full, thick beard.