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...Because I sure as hell cannot. I'm 22, and have shaved for so many times (yeah, I believe in the 'the more you shave, the sooner it'll grow' story). I'd say I'm not predestinded to grow beard, but my father and elder brother are able to grow full beards though, and my maternal grandfather too. What could it be if not genetics?
How much does it grow or fill in now?
My beard still got a bit fuller from age 22 to current 28, and it will probably continue to do that. Fe. connecting mustache to beard only a few years ago.
There are people that never get much of facial hair yes, but those full thick beards from short length already are also rare.
Maybe you are comparing it to other beards too much and you could just try growing it anyway and it won't be as bad as you think. If it doesn't all fill in you can think of a particular style fe. goatee, sideburns, chincurtain.
It could be something hormonal, but it's impossible to say.
Hormones and Genes are the main factors involved in facial / body hair growth. In my case the older I get the hairier I get. When I was your age I could grow a beard but it was sparse and to be honest lame so I had a mustache only until about age 26.
Another example back in the 80's when I was 20 hairy chests were fashionable for men and I didn't have one hair on mine. Now the fashion is no hair on ones chest and now I have a mildly hairy chest.
Life is cruel.
LOL
Anyway my guess is the best thing you could do is be patient and maybe down the road you'll be able to grow a better beard. Sure you could find a doctor who may give you hormones to stimulate beard growth but such a treatment surely will have unintended consequences you may not like.
Kevin
It's amazing what dripping will do!
yeah, its true. my dads (and my) friend egghead is like mid 40s and never shaved and has never had a single hair on his face.
I can't grow anything, haven't shaved in close to a week and have barely a 5 o'clock shadow. It is kinda pathetic in a way, but my dad says to wait until late 20's and then - boom!
I never could grow a real beard either, just a scruffy thing as you can see even now at 46. Hope you fare better than I did lol. Fortunately I never wanted a real beard anyway.
Hello there. Interesting little discussion on beards here. I didn't have a full beard until I was about 25, prior to that I could grow a competent beard by the time I was 21, but the place where the mustache fills out and just below the lower lip took a bit longer to fill in. My theory is that regular shaving helps stimulate the hair to grow back thicker. I always wanted to have a hairy chest and decided a few years ago when I was 34 to start shaving my chest in the area where there was sparse hair. Now 5 years later at 39 the chest hair is now 3 times thicker in growth along with new areas slowly being filled in. On a plus side sparse facial hair will make you appear to look younger as your beard would be like a youth's sparse beard.
I don't really know if some men who cannot grow full beards mean that they have lower testosterone levels then normal, but some racial groups like North American/South American Indians, and Asians in general are groups where facial hair is often very sparse whereas Caucasians hair growth is more vigourous. The Ainu in Japan have always stood out from the more mainstream Japanese in being hairier. Ainu in Japanese means Hairy People. Anyway try to think of the positives rather then the negatives. Remember sparse facial hair will allow you to look more youthful.
Duncan
mine comes in pretty bad, at least if it came in nicely I'd be less likely to shave regularly
Frustrating, eh ?
I'm in the same boat, though you couldn't say that seeing me (my goatee...). If I don't shave this week, I'm sure I will look the same the next week. I believe I'm born to sport a goatee, and no more :D
Hopefully, it will grow in the future...
Vivien
It's quite normal for a beard not to have completely come in until later. You're young. Shaving makes no difference, of course. That's just an old wives' tale.
Not only can I not grow grow any hair on my cheeks, but the facial hair that does come in is an assortment of colors. So it looks thinner than it actually is. Some blond, some black, a couple orange; I'm growing what I can out to see how it looks when it is longer.
It has quite a bit to do with genetics, however what is passed down is really like rolling dice. Even in ethnic groups known for their ability to grow facial hair can range quite a bit.
I could grow only sideburns when I was your age. Now at 32 I still have no hair on my cheeks, that is, I have a goatee, sideburns and sparse stache but the goatee doesn't connect with the sideburns.
I never shave, never trim (well, I trim the stache) and this is what I can achieve (in the pic it looks fuller, actually you can see through it).
Ale, we have the same kind of beard. Though I have no sideburns...
Mine grew only underneath my chin until I was 21. I think I almost preferred it that way, but then it grew a couple of inches up my cheeks. I wouldn't even want it to grow higher up than that, although some guys look like that.
Hey Vivian, good to hear from you. Remember that cartoon show called SCOOBY-DOO. You look a bit a long-haired version of the guy SHAGGY. He has a similar beard to yours.
Duncan
I admit ! :)
Take care.
Did you know it was originally called Ghostbusters? It was around long before the film of the same name, but when they put it back on the air right after the film all the little kids who weren't born when it was on TV before complained to the TV stations because it wasn't the same as the film, so they changed the name to Scooby Doo.
Hi Elecktos,
No I didn't know they were first called GHOSTBUSTERS. I remember the television show was called SCOBBY-DOO around 1978 when I was eight years old. The ghosts were never real just crooks trying to scarce people away. I have done my share of amateur ghosthunting and will be drawn to haunted spots not driven away! Curiousity sated the Cat!
Duncan
Vivien, actually I think your goatee is thicker than mine; but anyway...I really like your beard, it gives you that viking look!
I'm 34 and still can't grow a beard. I can grow a goatee (and have one now) and a decent mustache, but the two don't join, and when I try to grow a beard everything on the sides is splotchy. Perhaps I'll hit puberty someday. {sigh...}
My beard appeared with black hairs thickly distributed all over the place when I was 14. Now I have almost no black hairs in it at all!
Easy come, easy go.
Have patience, friends. Beards can appear anywhere from the early teens to the late twenties, to never. Only time will tell.
Bill
Dang! You must be some incarnation of Abraham, aren't you?
I would imagine yours will catch up to you as the rest of your family has it. I'm 25 and have full coverage aside from the "drip" part between mustache/chin-beard. But mine is not reall thick or prominent enough to grow a full beard. I have a feeling we'll both have beard capabilities by late 20s haha.
***As long as you still have it on your head!
-Phil
you sound like my older brother, i am Seventeen and i am just starting to get a beard going,
So far so good and great growth there. You've got amazing head of hair there and looks in great condition.
Cheers,
John.B
I'm also 22. I'd say I can grow a decent beard. It's really thin in the middle of my mustache and barely connects the mustache to my beard. That part really annoys me because I'd like to try out a Lemmy style mustache.
Hi Garth,
Your beard was like mine was at the same age. Give it another 3 years or so and it will fill in. I remember feeling the same way wanting to get a full beard to cover the gap between moustache and lower lip.
Duncan
Hey Garth. Great to see your posts in here lately.
So, off the topic here, how was your last school term? Graduation?
Hopefully you are enjoying your Summer!!!
VJ
My last school semester went great. I somehow pulled off academic honors without even trying to. Graduation was boring, but felt good to actually go to it. This Summer is nice and easy managing a pool before I look for a real job in the fall. Good to hear people are interested in what's going on with me.
Garth-Glad to hear that all is going well for you.
Of course people care aboput each other here. You always seem like a positive guy. Hey-the more everybody supports each other, the better things will be in this world. Enough of the blabber.
Hope you find the right job for you once you get started. I'm sure you will! For now enjoy the pool and the Summer.
Keep us posted.
VJ
Your beard isn't that much different from mine, Garth, and I'm a few decades older than you. Personally, I wouldn't want more beard than I have, and I don't find anyone who thinks I don't have enough beard. I wouldn't want to dissappear entirely behind it, and frankly very few men in any age bracket have a completely filled in beard.
Motorhead are cool!
Nikola,
I do know that many men of Native American and Asian descent can not grow much of a beard.
Myself, I could barely grow a goatee at age 18. It wasn't until my mid to late 20's that beard became full and thick. The mustache usually takes the longest to fill in and mature.
- Oren
Hey don't let it get you down... I was in my early 30's before I was able to get the beard to grow in like it is now. I had 2 sizable bald spots on either end of the mustache and it seemed it would never connect. Then bam it started to connect and look good. Hang in there and give it time, I'm sure your Pop and brother have had the feelings about it you have as well.
Charlie
I concur with Charlie, I was in my mid, to late 20's before I could get some real coverage facial hair wise. Now that I'm almost 40, I MAYBE shave once every 3 weeks or so - - that's the itch stage YUCK.
Sometimes it feels good to grow a goate' or a "fuu-manchu", or a good Cowboy Moustache with some sideburns. Either way, my Wifey gets a new boyfriend (in her eyes), when I decide to change it up.
Don't worry Bro - - you're time will come too. Unless your full-blooded Native American, you won't have that problem. I know a LOT of the Cherokee on my Dad's side can't grow it at all, they've come to grips with that though.
Be SAFE, Be WELL - - PEACE To ALL. . .
-Lone Wolf
I am 41, and cannot grow facial hair of any length. I will get scruff after a week but it never goes beyond that. I do have about 20" of hair on my head though. :)