Re: How old am I to grow my hair on my armpit and belly?

Dear Josh;
	The age at which armpit hair (axillary hair in med-speak) develops is highly 
variable. Axillary hair development is one of the last and the most variable of  
the stages of puberty. The age at which belly or chest hair develops is even 
more variable. Some men do not develop significant chest hair until their 
thirties.
Here is a section from an older edition of the Merck Manual:

 THE MERCK MANUAL 

 The Sixteenth Edition of The Merck Manual was published in 1992, and many
 parts of this version are now out of date with current medical practices. 

                           SECTION 15. PEDIATRICS AND GENETICS

                           205. PHYSICAL CONDITIONS IN ADOLESCENCE
Once sexual changes begin, they proceed in an established sequence in both boys 
and girls. In the male, sexual changes begin with growth of the scrotum and 
testes and lengthening of the penis, followed by the appearance of pubic hair 
and growth of the seminal vesicles and prostate. The height spurt usually begins 
a year after the testes start growing. Axillary and facial hair appear about 2 
yr after pubic hair. The median age for first ejaculation (between 12 and 14 yr 
in the USA) is affected by psychologic, cultural, and biologic factors. First 
ejaculation takes place about 1 yr after the accelerated penis growth. Mature 
spermatozoa appear between ages 14 and 16 yr, but maximum fertility is not 
reached until the late teens or early 20s. Uni- or bilateral gynecomastia is 
common in young teenage boys and usually resolves within 1 yr.
end quoted material::::

Another site stated that if no sexual development is apparent in a male by the 
age of 14, that medical evaluation is appropriate. Lack of axillary hair at age 
16 would not in itself be sufficient reason to require special testing. I cannot 
really answer your question (when?) without other information and it is not 
appropriate to answer specific medical questions at this site anyway. If this 
information is not enough to address your concerns, then you should seek advice 
from a qualified physician.

David Winsemius, MD, among other things