Re: Is there a 'point of no return' age for being able to grow facial hair?

In males, there can be many reasons for reduced or no facial hair ranging from genetics to immunological and hormone causes. Genetically, Europeans have more facial hair than Asians do, naturally. Similarly, North American Native males and also certain South Americans who genetically derive from Asian lines originally, have little or no facial hair. As you anticipated in your question, levels of testosterone can play a role. However, testosterone in blood can readily be measured in an endocrine laboratory. So that is information that your doctor can provide very accurately and for reltaively low cost.

There are some other possibilities of hair loss, technically called alopecia areata , which include immune system causes . Indeed, there is even a national foundation which deals with this issue called the National Alopecia Areata Foundation .

In my opinion, if there are no systemic diseases for which lack of hair growth or hair loss is an associative symptom then it should be left alone. Although some dermatologists and endocrinologists may approach the absence of, or loss of, hair as a disease, again, in my opinion, people are better off not becoming too aggressive in dealing with it. Trying to make hair grow by chemical or other means can cause more serious problems than worry about lacking hair in certain places, in the first place. In the folk philosophy, with which I concur, "if it ain't broke then don't try to fix it."

As far as your simple question is concerned "Is there a 'point of no return' age for being able to grow facial hair?" I would have to say yes. Facial hair in genetically European types begins to develop during puberty. By age 23, my guess is that adolescent development has been completed. It is, therefore, not likely that under natural circumstances you will have additional facial hair growth.