Question: Why do some people have more chest hair than other? Where does chest hair come from?
Answer: Chest hair is medically known as terminal hair. Terminal hair; in this case chest hair, is generally more abundant on males than females. Many women are prone to having chest hair depending on their genetic disposition and their hormonal status; age also plays a role.
An excessive growth of terminal hair on the body of men and women is called hypertrichosis. This medical term is different from hirsutism that just affects women. These women can develop terminal hair on the chest following the male pattern as a symptom of an endocrine disease.
The direction growth of chest hair can make for interesting patterns and is usually the same for most men. Typically in males, the hair above the sternum points up and the hair below points down. Some individuals have chest hair that 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.
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The individual occurrence and characteristics of chest hair depends on the genetic make up, 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 center and sides of the chest and the clavicle (collarbone).
Humans have three different types of hair:
- Lanugo, the fine hair that covers nearly the entire body of fetuses
- Vellus hair, the short, fine, “peach fuzz” body hair that grows in most places on the human body in both sexes
- Terminal hair, as in chest hair that is fully developed hair, which is generally longer, coarser, thicker, and darker than vellus hair.
The rising level of male hormones (androgens) during puberty causes a transformation process of vellus hair into terminal hair on several parts of the body like the chest hair. The hair follicles respond to androgens, primarily testosterone and its derivatives; the hair in these locations is also called androgenic hair. The rate of hair growth and the weight of the hairs increase.
The attitudes towards hair on the human body also vary between different cultures and times. In some cultures profuse chest hair on men is a symbol of virility and masculinity; other societies display a hairless body as a sign of youthfulness.
The primary component of hair fiber is keratin. Keratins are proteins, long chains (polymers) of amino acids.
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