Last updated on October 28, 2020
Question
I’m 12 and I’m a girl. I’m kind of confused. In my pubic area, I have lots of super-blonde hair, but it’s not curly or dark. I can only see it if I look closely at my area. It’s on my labia and the part above it. At certain angles, I can look at my pubic area and see a few dark stands, but then I look again and I can’t see it so I don’t know if I’m getting dark hair. How long do you think it will be until it darkens? (I have dark eyebrows and brown hair.)
Answer:
What you are seeing are vellus hairs that are changing into terminal hairs. People have two types of hair: vellus and terminal hair. You have terminal hair on the top of your head and as a child, you had vellus hair most everywhere else. About the only places you don’t have hair is on the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands.
Vellus hair is fine (small in diameter) and without pigment, so it is mostly clear. Because it is so fine, it breaks off easily and doesn’t tend to get very long. It is also very soft to the touch. As these hairs change to terminal hairs, they will first grow long. It is hard to see the vellus hairs straight on, but looking from the side you will notice your fine hairs are getting long.
Terminal hair is thicker in diameter and pigmented. It will grow much longer than vellus hair.
It can take months for the hairs to change.