Asked by: Amanda Hart, Cardiff

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Men grow beards because the hair follicles on their jaw are stimulated by the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is produced from testosterone.

Women have the same number of follicle cells on their faces as men, but these are less sensitive to DHT, and females also have lower testosterone levels to begin with.

Beards may have evolved as a signal of the testosterone levels of a man, and women came to find thicker beards attractive because it implied that their owner would be stronger or more dominant.

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Authors

luis villazon
Luis VillazonQ&A expert

Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.

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