May 2004

Male secondary sex characteristics, including development of facial hair on the chin, cheeks, and upper lip, appear during mid adolescence. It's common for boys in their mid teens to begin shaving, and some either stop shaving and allow a full crop of facial hair or trim their thickening whiskers in keeping with various styles. Others prefer their face to be naked to the elements.

In today's western societies, and also in the east, men's beards range from wild and unkempt facial shrubs to neatly trimmed goatees.