# Beard growing at different rates
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-growing-at-different-rates/826025
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 13, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-growing-at-different-rates/826025 "2018-12-13T00:02:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-growing-at-different-rates/826025/1 "2018-12-13T00:02:27Z")
Does a mans beard grow at different rates on the face. I think my beard isc much faster growing around the middle of cheek, under jaw and chin. On the periphery of these areas it is slower growing.
Is this a correct assumption by me?
If yes, why is it so from a naturalselection point of view?
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-growing-at-different-rates/826025/2 "2018-12-13T00:12:18Z")
Hair growth over your body is related to the location, but also some locations get more abrasion etc. to limit growth. There are also individual differences. So I don’t know of any comparison of the areas on the face except to say that it is feasible.
Natural selection does not mean there is an explanation for every trait. It only means that there is no detriment to having the trait, at least in the environment the species came up in.
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### Author:  [@redditch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redditch)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-growing-at-different-rates/826025/3 "2018-12-13T00:39:06Z")
I’d put it down to genes myself, I’m just thankful my beard isn’t all patchy!🆒
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### Author:  [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2018, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-growing-at-different-rates/826025/4 "2018-12-13T06:50:22Z")
I can’t speak to the genetic aspect, but when I had a beard it always grew in faster on my right side, and if I didn’t trim carefully I looked weird and imbalanced.
Also, I know someone who recently transitioned and his beard is growing in faster on the left side. Hormones are weird amirite?
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### Author:  [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-growing-at-different-rates/826025/5 "2018-12-13T18:02:45Z")
Normally when growing your beard out, you let it grow for about 4 weeks before trimming it. This should give the uneven patches time to catch up.
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### Author:  [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-growing-at-different-rates/826025/6 "2018-12-14T04:00:11Z")
A sample size of one, but: my facial hair grows evenly until it gets around 2" long. At that point, a weird pattern emerges on my chin that gives me a forked beard. the rest seems to grow at the same rate out to about 9", which is the longest I’ve let it go. Yes, even on my upper lip, and even with liberal use of wax it ends up being this weird, curly thing that looks like a cloud hanging out there. Orderly handlebars just aren’t happening for more than a few minutes. A friend of mine drew a portrait of me as the man in the moon because of it.
So, IMHO, beards in general are strange. Mine looks pretty generic until it gets going.