Growing Sideburns

[kwiteaboy]

I'm sick of not having sideburns. I'm nearly 21 and I can grow thicker hair on my upper lip and chin than I can on my sideburns. I was watching a show on transsexual twins, and the female-to-male twin had sideburns. It's not fair that women who become men can have sideburns and I can't. What are the odds a doctor would give me the drugs they give transsexuals to grow beards?

 

[DocHolliday]

I don't have an answer, but this might be my favorite question ever posed on SF.

 

[kwiteaboy]

Recent research (asking the people in my living room a few minutes ago) has indicated that Rogaine might be a possibility. Any advice for the use of Rogaine, Styleforum?

 

[whodini]

Rogain might promote some folicle growth but it also really depends on genetics. Can you not grow hair at all on the sides of your face? Does it come out patchy? Are you blonde/brown?

Who knows what drugs the doctor gave the transexual but I'd guess it was artificial testosterone and not some "hair growth formula." Perhaps your problem lies there with your body's ability to convert testosterone to a subproduct called DHT. DHT controls how much beard growth you have while also causing balding depending on genetics.

I could go on with this but if you're really unsure about it get a checkup with a doctor and see what's up. Sorry about the long-winded explanation but it's all part of med school.

 

[kwiteaboy]

I appreciate it. The hair is patchy and thicker closer to where my hair grows, for like a centimeter. I am a blond, as well.

I'm thinking it may be the testosterone thing. While my dad, who has plenty of body hair including beard, is balding and has been since he was my age, I have very very thick hair and am almost completely hairless otherwise.

Can I just buy some DHT to rub all over my face?

 

[whodini]

DHT isn't something you apply like Rogain. Rather, it's in pill form. You can check with a doctor and get a prescription for it or do the google thing and find some over the counter stuff which probably won't work.

The odd thing is that while you might take something to boost DHT levels in your body, you might experience hair loss on your head. The pills you see for generating hair like propecia actually blocks the enzymes that create DHT which in turn tells the body to produce more hair on your head.

See a doctor.

 

[LabelKing]

Those drugs are called hormones.

 

[carlhuber]

If it's really easy to grow sideburns, chances are you grow a lot of hair other places too. I can grow this beard in two weeks: http://www.carlh.com/images/dark_carl.jpg Maybe it's not such a bad thing not being able to grow sideburns...besides, they're on their way out, style wise, imho.

 

[Augusto86]

 

[Edsal17]

I know you don't want to hear it, but just wait. I had some trouble with sideburns until I was like 25. Just keep shaving them or you could try wearing your hair longer and letting some of the hair on the sides of your head spill down. It might help make what little sideburn hair you have look fuller.



d

 

[hobo]

You might look kind of silly if you try to wear patchy/thin sideburns because it will look kind of obvious that it is patchy/thin. Just do a clean shave instead

 

[Edward Appleby]

If I had a doctor who would prescribe hormones to let me grow sideburns, I'd get a new doctor.

 

[kwiteaboy]

Originally Posted by Edward Appleby

If I had a doctor who would prescribe hormones to let me grow sideburns, I'd get a new doctor.

Yeah, I'd say that, too. If I could GROW SIDEBURNS.

ARGH

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by Edward Appleby

If I had a doctor who would prescribe hormones to let me grow sideburns, I'd get a new doctor.
From a medical viewpoint, what do you see as the difference between not being able to grow sideburns and male pattern baldness? Should doctors not prescribe drugs like propecia to balding men? Is a doctor a quack for performing hair restoration surgery? Simply put, this problem is genetic and could probably be helped with hormonal therapy. It's as simple as a problem with enzymatic function and really isn't that big a deal.

 

[Edward Appleby]

Originally Posted by kwiteaboy

Yeah, I'd say that, too. If I could GROW SIDEBURNS.

ARGH
Are you honestly saying that you're willing to try hormone therapy, which has a number of risks and side effects, just so that you can have filaments of dead cells sticking out in front of your ears?

Originally Posted by whodini

Simply put, this problem is genetic and could probably be helped with hormonal therapy. It's as simple as a problem with enzymatic function and really isn't that big a deal.
Doesn't hormone therapy have a number of secondary effects though? Also, isn't it possible that it's just a delayed development issue?