Where is vellus hair located?
It usually appears on your:
- Arms, shoulders, legs, hips and buttocks.
- Face, forehead, nose and earlobes.
- Neck, chest, breasts, back, stomach and torso.
- Tops of your knuckles on your fingers and toes.
What does vellus hair look like?
For most people, vellus hair is thin, fine and wispy. It’s usually shorter and lighter in color than terminal hair. It ranges in color from light blonde to dark brown.
The appearance of vellus hair and the amount you have depends on your genetics, age and hormone levels. Vellus hairs usually shorten or fall out as you age. Children and young adults have more vellus hair than older adults.
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What happens to vellus hair during puberty?
During adolescent development (puberty), hormone levels rise. Your body’s endocrine system produces more of a type of hormone called androgens. This increase causes vellus hair on some parts of the body to change to terminal hair.
In people of all sexes, vellus hair changes to terminal hair in the pubic area and armpits during puberty. It becomes darker and coarser. When people assigned male at birth (AMAB) (and some people assigned female at birth [AFAB]) go through puberty, vellus hair on their upper lip and beard area darkens and gets thicker. It also grows longer on their upper back, chest, knuckles, arms and legs.
