How much chest hair is normal

The growth continues subsequently. In older adult years androgens cause thickening of the hair. 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. Each pattern of hair growth is normal. The areas where terminal hair may grow are the periareolar areas nipples , the centre and sides of the chest and the clavicle collarbone.

The direction of growth of hair can make for interesting patterns, akin to depictions of mathematical vector fields. Typical males will exhibit a node on the upper sternum, the hair above which points up and the hair below which points down. Some individuals of say the pattern in diagram 3 have spirals on their upper pectoral regions several inches from the nipple towards the neck which run clockwise on the left breast and counter-clockwise on the right.

Considering an individual occurrence of chest hair as abnormal does not implicitly depend on medical indications but primarily on cultural and social attitudes. An excessive growth of terminal hair on the body of men and women is called hypertrichosis. This medical term has to be distinguished from hirsutism that just affects women. A hairy chest can be a source of insecurity for some men, with beaches , public pools, and yard work on hot days all potential locales of shame for hairy guys.

Certainly, some hairy men may elect for electrolysis, shaving , or waxing. And there are those out there who, through sheer chance, have ended up with a baby-smooth bod. But for those on the fence as to whether trim, science has a few things to say about your chest hair before it goes. Although the research is dated, another study found that a majority of Mensa members, or the genius club, had thick chest hair as well. However, it may just as well be true that hairy men choose to stay in and study instead of being shamed at pool parties.

Oddly, studies suggest your chest hair might resemble that of your father-in-law. It also may be a result of sexual imprinting — that is, women select men who remind them of their fathers. The most common cause of excess body hair in people assigned female at birth is polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , which is a hormonal disorder causing the body to produce too many androgens.

Doctors do not fully understand the causes of PCOS. However, a person can manage the symptoms with birth control pills or other hormonal treatments. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a rare group of disorders that affect the adrenal glands and can cause severe symptoms.

The female body may produce too many androgens when the adrenal glands do not work correctly. This can lead to a variety of symptoms, including excessive hair growth.

Doctors do screen for conditions that cause adrenal hyperplasia. However, mild cases may not be possible to diagnose until puberty. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 0. The body hair appears rapidly in these cases and may include other symptoms, such as a mass in the stomach or pelvis.

Some medications can cause additional hair growth. A person who notices new hair growth after trying a new prescription drug should tell their doctor. Some drugs with links to hirsutism include:. Hyperprolactinemia is a condition that causes the body to produce high levels of the hormone prolactin. Prolactin is primarily responsible for producing breast milk in breastfeeding people.

People with this condition may lactate even if they are not nursing. Some people with hyperprolactinemia may experience infertility or not have their periods. The condition can also cause hirsutism. The thyroid produces hormones that help regulate metabolism and body temperature.

The two common thyroid disorders are hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. When the thyroid malfunctions, it may create an imbalance of hormones that causes excess body hair growth in rare cases. Sometimes hirsutism has no apparent cause, and doctors can find no clear evidence of an underlying disorder. When hirsutism has no clear reason, a doctor may refer to it as idiopathic hirsutism. This is typically a diagnosis of exclusion when a doctor can eliminate all known, possible underlying causes.

When the cause of hirsutism is unknown, it may be genetic. People of East Indian and Mediterranean origin who were assigned female at birth tend to have this type of hair growth. We're not saying there isn't a certain appeal to going smooth abs look harder, less lint gets trapped, no more tufts poking out of your collar but you're not a magazine ad—you're a man.

And evolution wanted you to have hair. Thankfully the pendulum's swinging back in favor of the hirsute.