Faint mustache/peach fuzz on late-bloomer DS

[Anonymous]

We started noticing that DS, who has yet to show any other visible signs of puberty (voice change, growth spurt, other body hair, etc.), has started sprouting a very faint mustache on the corners of his upper lip. And others have noticed it as well. I always thought, and based on a quick google search, the facial hair comes at the final stage of puberty. Like I said he is showing no other outward signs of puberty and was determined to be a late bloomer by his doctor at his last check-up.

What has been the correlation of facial hair and puberty in your DS? Just want to gauge if this is normal or if he is further along than we thought.

[Anonymous]

I think peach fuzz is not considered to be the same as facial hair (needing real shaving etc).

My almost 15yo DS is a late bloomer and has recently grown a bit of peach fuzz and a few underarm hairs. At 14yo appt he was only Tanner stage 2 (not very far along). His growth has picked up but nothing crazy, and no voice change. Most would guess he is about 13. He is definitely not in late puberty.

I think it can also vary a lot by ethnicity or hair color.

[Anonymous]

I think the faint mustache is early puberty.
Full on face shaving comes much later for many boys. My 17 year old doesn't have any hair on his cheeks.

[Anonymous]

Hmm....the faint upper lip hair was about mid-way for my son. More late stage puberty was full blown armpit hair and leg hair. That was well after his voice had dropped and major growth spurt. We are not super hairy people though. Not a lot of facial hair still.

[Anonymous]

I’m sure it varies but peach fuzz is generally more early-mid puberty. I think the facial hair they refer to (toward the end of puberty) is the coarse, adult man-like kind that you need to shave and face gets stubbly. Not the same thing as a smooth faced boy with some light soft fuzz on his lip, IYKWIM.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the replies. It sounds like what he has is more consistent with early puberty. At this rate it’s looking like he’ll hit full puberty by senior year! 😄

[Anonymous]

My 10th grader (15 yo) is definitely mid-puberty and has a little fuzz on the corner of his lips. Leg hair, squeaky voice, no underarm hair. Lip fuzz came when voice started changing.