Beard Growth and Ancestry: What Research Says About Ethnic Differences and Minoxidil

Off-label use: Topical minoxidil is FDA-approved only for scalp hair loss; using it on the beard is off-label, so talk to a clinician before you start, especially if you have heart or blood-pressure conditions or take other medications.

Short answer: beard density varies between populations on average, and part of that is genetic. A large 2016 study of Latin Americans with mixed ancestry found that more European ancestry correlated with thicker beards. It also linked beard thickness to specific gene regions, including one near EDAR. Hormone levels don't seem to explain the differences. An older comparison found similar testosterone in Caucasian and Chinese men despite large differences in body hair. Averages say very little about any individual, though. Your father's, brothers' and uncles' beards are a better guide than any ancestry label. And the beard minoxidil trials were small studies run in Thailand, so nobody has tested whether response differs by ancestry.

Minoxidil on the beard is off-label for everyone. Topical minoxidil is FDA-approved only for scalp hair loss.

What the genetics research shows

The CANDELA study (2016)

The most useful study here is a genome-wide association study by Adhikari and colleagues, published in Nature Communications. It covered 6,357 people from Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru, including 2,922 men. The sample was a real mix: on average about 48% European, 46% Native American and 6% African ancestry. That mix let the researchers look at how ancestry and specific genes relate to hair traits.

Key findings for beards:

• Ancestry correlated with beard density. European ancestry correlated with beard density at r = 0.3. That's a moderate correlation, which means plenty of men with high European ancestry had sparse beards and the reverse.
• Specific gene regions were linked to beard thickness, including regions near EDAR, LNX1, PREP and FOXP2. The authors note that the last three have no known hair-related function.
• Eyebrow thickness had its own strongest signal, near FOXL2, and greying was linked to IRF4. Different traits, different genes.

The takeaway isn't that one gene decides your beard. Many variants each contribute a little, and they're spread unevenly across populations because of history and migration. Our deeper look at genetics and beard growth covers how inheritance works within families.

Hormones: similar testosterone, different conversion

A 1991 study by Lookingbill and colleagues compared 184 healthy Caucasian and Chinese adults. Men's chest-hair scores differed sharply: an average of 3.0 for Caucasian men versus 0.8 for Chinese men on a 0 to 4 scale. Total and bioavailable testosterone didn't differ between the groups. What did differ were blood markers of androgens that had been converted by the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase into more potent forms. Those markers were much higher in the Caucasian group. The authors called this circumstantial evidence for a difference in 5-alpha-reductase activity.

Two cautions. The study measured chest hair, not beards, and it compared only two groups in one setting. Still, it fits a pattern that comes up again and again: body and facial hair depend less on how much testosterone you have and more on how your follicles respond to androgens. Our explainer on androgen sensitivity and our piece on why DHT grows the beard but thins the scalp go deeper.

Why ancestry labels are a weak predictor

• Variation within groups is huge. The CANDELA correlation was moderate, and within any population you'll find men with full beards and men with almost none.
• Labels are blunt. "Asian," "Latino," "Black" or "white" each cover enormous genetic diversity. A study of one country or region doesn't generalize to everyone who checks the same box.
• Family is closer to your actual genes. The beards of your biological father, brothers, uncles and grandfathers, at ages similar to yours, tell you more than any population average.
• Age matters as much as anything. Many men's beards keep filling in through their twenties. A 20-year-old comparing himself to a 35-year-old relative isn't comparing like with like.

Density is one trait; texture is another

Ancestry discussions often mix up how many hairs grow with what those hairs are like. Hair shape (straight, wavy, curly or tightly coiled) is its own inherited trait. The same CANDELA study found separate genetic signals for scalp hair shape. Texture changes how a beard looks and how it behaves:

• Curly or coiled beard hair often looks denser at the same hair count, because each hair covers more skin. It's also more prone to razor bumps when shaved close. Our guide to razor bumps while growing a beard covers that.
• Straight, fine beard hair lies flatter and shows more skin through it, so a beard can look patchier than the hair count alone would suggest.
• Color contrast matters too. Dark hair on light skin shows every gap, while light hair on light skin hides both gaps and growth.

None of this changes what minoxidil does. It does change what "a full beard" looks like for you, and what kind of progress you should look for.

Reading population claims you find online

When a post or video claims a group "can't grow beards" or that minoxidil "works best" for a group, check:

1. Is there a study, or just an anecdote or a map?
2. Did the study measure beards specifically, or chest or scalp hair?
3. How many people, from where, and was there a comparison group?
4. Does the claim talk about averages, or does it slide into statements about individuals?

Where the minoxidil trials were run

Both placebo-controlled beard trials we cover were conducted in Thailand:

That's a narrow evidence base. It doesn't mean minoxidil only works in Thai men. It means the trials don't tell us whether average response differs by ancestry. You'll see claims online that minoxidil "works better" for one group or another. We haven't found trial data to support any of them. Our write-up of the 2026 trial covers its population in detail.

There's a second gap. Both trials used 3% minoxidil, a strength not commonly sold over the counter in the US. Most beard users buy 5% foam or solution. So even for the populations studied, the products people actually buy weren't the ones tested. That's one more reason to treat any claim of a precise "expected result" with suspicion, whatever your background.

What this means if you're considering minoxidil

1. Look at your family, not your census box. If several close male relatives grew full beards later in life, your own beard may still be developing.
2. Look at what's on your face now. Fine, light vellus hairs in the sparse areas give minoxidil something to work with. Our guide to vellus vs terminal hair explains why that matters.
3. Set expectations from the trials, not from forums. The trials ran for months, and results varied between people.
4. Check safety first. Off-label means you should talk with a clinician, especially if you have heart or blood-pressure issues.

When to see a doctor

A beard that has always been sparse is normal variation. A beard that was full and is now falling out in patches, or very little body or facial hair along with other signs such as low energy or low libido, is worth a doctor's visit to rule out hormonal or autoimmune causes.

If you want a prescriber involved

If you'd like a clinician to look at your history and the hair you already have before trying minoxidil, telehealth is one option.