Why do I barely have any facial or body hair?

Question:

Hello,

I am an 18.5-year-old male and have some questions about myself. Almost all of my friends have facial hair or happy trails, but I have very little. There is no need to shave my face, etc. I think I am in stage 4, as I am 6’2’’ and all the other signs seem to match up with the start of stage 4. Also, when I am erect, my penis points straight up toward my belly button and not straight out. Is that abnormal? I am about 4.5-5’’ when erect.

Thank you.

Answer:

Much depends on the genes you’ve inherited. There are lineages that have very little body hair. For example, the Ethiopians are described as “Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared far and wide, a powerful and oppressive nation whose land the rivers divide” (Isaiah 18:2). “Smooth” because they did not have much body hair. But you can even find variances within a family. Jacob and Esau were fraternal twins; yet, they looked very different. “Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, ‘Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man’” (Genesis 27:11).

However, what is more likely the case is that body hair starts appearing in stage 4. It can take time for it to come in. Even after you’ve reached stage 5, your hair will continue to develop. This is especially true for facial hair. Full beards won’t develop until after you have reached stage 5.

Regarding your penis, there is a ligament inside you that controls the angle of your penis. See “I have a bunch of questions about my penis” for details.