I am 20 years old and have a very scarce beard. Along the bottom of my
jaw, over the very bottom of my chin and over my neck I can grow a
substantial amount of facial hair. Everywhere else on my face the hair
is scarce or non-existant. This depresses me, as I have wanted to grow
a beard since I was about 15. The odd thing is, however, that I have
(according to doctors, family, and friends) the thickest head of hair
anyone has ever seen. I also have more body hair than any of my
friends, and have had such since long before most of them even started
to see arm-pit hair. When I was in kindergarten some kids referred to
me as 'the wolf' because I was the only child with visible arm and leg
hair. My father can grow a very thick beard and has been able to since
he was about 18, and his father had a tremendous red beard which
earned him the nickname 'rusty'. My mother's father was capable of
growing a very handsome beard as well, and my mother admits that even
she had to laser off the hair folicles in her mustache region. I
understand that facial hair growth is entirely genetic, but that it
can be effected by hormonal imbalances. I suppose my questions are:
a.) I have suffered from acne since I was about 12 and still do not
have clear skin. Acne can also sometimes be caused by hormonal
imbalance, so is there a high likelihood that I suffer from such? My
acne is not limited to my face, it is actually more prevelant on my
back and upper shoulders now-a-days, and also appears in small patches
on my chest and hips at times. and b.) I have used many topical
medicines in attempts to treat my acne over the years, some of which
contained alcohol or high concentrations of benzoyl peroxide. Is it
possible that these products might have 'burned' or otherwise damaged
the hair folicles of the facial areas in question? My facial hair is
thickest on the outer edges of my face and grows more sparce as you
approach the center of my face, where more breakouts occured in my
youth.