Testosterone is the primary hormone responsible for the development of male secondary sexual characteristics, including beard growth. Other hormones, such as dihydrotestosterone (DHT), also play a role in beard growth. Increasing one or both can lead to a stronger, thicker, and fuller beard.
The health benefits of beards
Beards can: Protect skin from sun damage. Beards can help protect the skin from harmful UV rays, though the degree of protection may depend on hair density and thickness. “You're going to have some protection because hair is a reflective medium,” says Dr.
Contrary to popular belief, patchy beards are not usually the result of low testosterone levels. Rather, it mostly comes down to how sensitive your hair follicles are to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a male sex hormone produced by testosterone.
Men with high testosterone can experience a variety of troubling symptoms and possible health consequences. Excess testosterone can lead to more aggressive and irritable behavior, more acne and oily skin, even worse sleep apnea (if you already have it), and an increase in muscle mass.
Your genes are one of the main factors in how thick or thin your facial hair is. “Men have hairs on their face that are programmed to respond to testosterone, and when they get that signal around puberty, they transition from fine hair to thicker hair,” Dr. Anthony explains. “But how thick it is depends on genetics.”
Like so many things, it comes down to a mixture of genetics and hormones. We know that at least some of the genes for hairiness are carried on the X chromosome – and the way these genes are expressed varies between different men and ethnic groups – but hairiness also correlates with high testosterone levels.
"However," he says, "evidence suggests men evolved deeper voices mainly for intimidating other men rather than attracting women." Studies show that men with deeper voices tend to have higher testosterone levels (an indicator of dominance) and a more athletic body type.
Dr. Chwalek: No. Men who can't grow a beard or have patchy beards usually have normal testosterone levels. It isn't a reflection of having low testosterone or being deficient in testosterone.
Dixson and Robert C Brooks aimed to decipher the role of facial hair in women's perceptions of attractiveness, and the results were undeniable. After judging a number of pictures featuring men with varying degrees of facial hair, the vast majority of women found full-bearded men to be the top dogs in the mix.
A new study found that women perceive men with facial hair to be more attractive as well as physically and socially dominant. Women tend to associate more masculine faces with physical strength, social assertiveness, and formidability.
The individual occurrence and characteristics of chest hair depend on the genetic disposition, the hormonal status and the age of the person. The genes primarily determine the amount, patterns and thickness of chest hair. Some men are very hairy, while others have no chest hair at all.
Hair follicles in areas that are destined to become bald are especially sensitive to DHT – it makes them shrink. Follicles on the sides and back of the head are not affected by DHT. Confusingly, DHT helps growth of the beard and hair on the chest. This explains why bald men can have bushy beards and hairy chests.
TESTOSTERONE. Testosterone secretion has a diurnal pattern of secretion. Peak levels are reached in the morning between 07.00 and 10.00, a trough is seen in the evening and levels then begin to rise again at night.
In males, high testosterone is most frequently due to anabolic steroid use or testosterone supplementation. People who show symptoms associated with high testosterone should see their doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Untreated high testosterone levels can raise the risk of infertility, cancer, and other problems.
Testosterone, like many other male hormones, can accelerate aging. One big red thread through biology is that there is a tradeoff between reproduction and aging.
The only way to know your testosterone level is with a blood test. You may talk to your healthcare provider about a testosterone level test if you have symptoms of low testosterone.
Problems associated with abnormally high testosterone levels in men include: Low sperm counts, shrinking of the testicles and impotence (seems odd, doesn't it?) Heart muscle damage and increased risk of heart attack. Prostate enlargement with difficulty urinating.