How long are your fingers? 
#23955
19 y
6,526
MoreNot quite as crazy a question as it probably sounds.
How does the length of your ring finger compare with the length of your index finger?
Apparently this is something that's determined by exposure to testosterone, starting in the womb. And of course higher testosterone levels in the womb are also known first of all to sensitize certain areas of the body in a way which can lead to "male" type hair growth later on if they're exposed to testosterone in later life.
So here's the question -- is your ring finger longer than your index finger?
Mine is, on both hands. Anyone else?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4314209.stm will give one or two other links.
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- Re: How long are your fingers? CassieBlack
19 y
6,002
This is a reply to # 145,807Mine are pretty similar although I think the ring fingers might be a little longer. And its not a stupid question I've heard the same thing about the length of your ring finger being affected by the amount of testosterone you have been exposed to. Actually I was just looking at my hands and the ring finger on my left hand is a bit longer than my right hand. So I think my left ring finger is longer than my left index finger but my right ring and index finger are the same. How weird I wonder if that means anything.
- Re: How long are your fingers? #23955
19 y
6,511
This is a reply to # 145,809When the index fingers are not longer than the ring fingers it indicates that the individual has, during fetal development, been exposed to male levels of testosterone. That in turn will, before birth, have pre-programmed certain parts of the body with regard to future development and that, in turn, will have sensitized the hair follicles in certain areas of the skin to respond to future testosterone stimulation by "male" type hair growth. So it's likely that even moderate testosterone levels as an adult are likely to lead eventually to growth of coarse "terminal" hair in those areas.
In effect, it seems to mean that we're possibly pre-programmed with regard to moustache and/or beard growth in the same sort of way as we're pre-programmed with regard to height.
Now, of course it's true that we can do something to ensure we reach our full height potential -- but not much. Most of us eventually just accept that it's not something that we're to blame for and if folk don't like us the height we are, then too bad. And I think that the implications of this sort of research may be that while we can take steps to mitigate any late-onset stimuli to facial hair growth, it's probably best to accept that, like height, facial hair is part of our pre-programming.
For me, it makes me much happier to realise that what I'd figured out by other methods is actually confirmed by scientific research which uses something as simple as relative finger length to establish -- facial hair is something that was programmed into my body before I was born. Attempting to change my finger length isn't on! :-). So for me, the decision to shave is simply confirmed as the most logical approach to take. I also suspect I'll be going around from now on surreptitiously trying to check the length of other women's fingers :-)
Anyone else care to contribute some thoughts?
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- Re: How long are your fingers? boronia
19 y
6,014
This is a reply to # 145,810Hi!
I've noticed recently that I seem to have grown more hair than usual on certain parts of my body.....just above the corners of my lips, on my toes (esp big toes) and under my belly button and wondered if it was a hormonal imbalance, due to liver congestion and hormones not being broken down properly. I'm not a particularly hairy woman otherwise.
However I also do have very long ring fingers, much longer than my index fingers!
Do you feel you are more aggressive than other women, or have a higher sex drive? I'm generally quite placid but can be quite reactive when I'm under a lot of stress.
Sex drive can vary from being very high to completely non-existant!
I would have thought that life experiences and diet would also play a part in this.....just basing it on one factor can be a bit deterministic in my view.
Anyway, yes I'll be inspecting other people's fingers from now on too!
Anne- Re: How long are your fingers? #23955
19 y
6,126
This is a reply to # 145,813> I've noticed recently that I seem to have grown more
> hair than usual on certain parts of my body.....
It's liable to show up at times in life when the current level of testosterone in relation to estrogen is high. Sometimes at puberty. Very often as estrogen levels drop off in the late thirties and more in the forties and fifties.
> just above the corners of my lips,
one of the most likely areas to have been sensitized before birth to testosterone -- of all the "male-type" facial hair a woman may develop, a moustache is the most likely
> on my toes (esp big toes)
I have very hairy toes too
> and under my belly button
another typical area for "male-type" growth
> and wondered if it was a hormonal imbalance, due to liver
> congestion and hormones not being broken down properly. I'm
> not a particularly hairy woman otherwise.
Quite possibly, because sensitization in the womb doesn't automatically produce excess hair growth, just a predisposition towards it.
> However I also do have very long ring fingers, much
> longer than my index fingers!
That, I think, is a very significant factor in that you must have been exposed to high levels of testosterone in the womb, so you will have at least the potential, other things being equal, to have male-type hair growth even if your current levels of testosterone are not too excessive.
> Do you feel you are more aggressive than other women,
It would be up to others to comment on that :-)
> or have a higher sex drive?
Most definitely yes. And my husband would confirm that emphatically. I'm sure my drive is as high as most males. But I think that that's a reflection of current rather than in-utero testosterone levels, so probably not too relevant in this matter.
> I'm generally quite placid but can be quite reactive
> when I'm under a lot of stress.
> Sex drive can vary from being very high to completely
> non-existant!
That will be a reflection of your current testosterone levels, which are probably fluctuating, rather than your testosterone levels before you were born.
> I would have thought that life experiences and diet
> would also play a part in this.....
No doubt they do.
> just basing it on one factor can be a bit deterministic in my view.
It would indeed. But the thing is that relative finger length is a very simple and apparently a very reliable way of determining the degree of fetal exposure to testosterone and fetal exposure to testosterone does have a determining effect on how our bodies will respond to testosterone at a later stage.
> Anyway, yes I'll be inspecting other people's fingers from now on too!
People will, no doubt, think us very strange :-) But what will be interesting to discover is whether we find a correlation between shorter index/longer ring fingers and facial hair amongst our own acquaintances.- Re: How long are your fingers? groovychick
19 y
5,913
This is a reply to # 145,814yes, on inspection my ring finger is ever so slightly longer than my index finger-on both hands, slightly more on my right hand.
will be paying alot more attention to peoples fingers from now on!
:)
- Re: How long are your fingers? groovychick
19 y
5,913
- Re: How long are your fingers? #23955
19 y
6,126
- Re: How long are your fingers? boronia
19 y
6,014
- Re: How long are your fingers? #23955
19 y
6,511
- Sorry to beat the Liver Flush drum a... LBD
19 y
6,467
This is a reply to # 145,807There is a group called ?Foresight which helps couples prepare for pregnancy so that the baby will be the healthiest possible for the couple (mainly working to reduce allergy loading). Also, when a mom eats a lot of certain foods during pregnancy it's not uncommon for the baby to be "allergic" or sensitive to those foods later on as they were exposed in the womb. Maybe, those babies will always have a pre-disposition to allergy, or a testosterone sensitivity, however, Liver Cleansing is reported to be able to free people of those allergies. Also, from my own experience with Liver Cleansing and taking liver detoxifiers like NAC, it seems that even if I was exposed to testosterone in the womb (and there is a real possibility that I was), that I can eventually remove that sensitivity through cleansing of the liver. I'm already seeing evidence of that.
It's interesting about the finger lengths. Andreas Mortiz's Liver Flush book mentions several interesting observations about fingers and feet and how they relate to the liver. So some of us may be predisposed but I don't believe any of us are helpless or irreversible.- Re: Sorry to beat the Liver Flush dr... #23955
19 y
6,637
This is a reply to # 145,815> So some of us may be predisposed but I don't believe
> any of us are helpless or irreversible.
While I don't think you can reverse the predisposition, remember that a predisposition is only that. The ante-natal exposure to testosterone may have predisposed us to have male-pattern hair development, but that doesn't mean we'll actually have it.
A woman with no ante-natal exposure to those levels of testosterone isn't going to grow a moustache or beard, no matter how much testosterone you put into her system in later life.
Those of us who have had the ante-natal exposure have the *potential* to grow a moustache and beard, but we're not going to *actually* grow either unless we're exposed as adults to significant amounts of testosterone. So keeping our testosterone levels down (by whatever method) will help minimise the probability of facial hair growth.
I've got used to the fact that for me, high testosterone levels are "normal" and I'm quite happy to address the "problem" of facial hair by shaving. If someone else wants to address the "problem" by trying to reduce their testosterone levels, that's fine by me :-)- Re: Sorry to beat the Liver Flush dr... #59709
18 y
5,662
This is a reply to # 145,816my ring finger is a bit longer than my index finger.... interesting, how old do you have to be for this, gonna go check my daughters....
- Re: Sorry to beat the Liver Flush dr... #23955
18 y
5,712
This is a reply to # 145,900> my ring finger is a bit longer than my index finger.... interesting,
> how old do you have to be for this, gonna go check my daughters....
It's evident at birth.
- Re: Sorry to beat the Liver Flush dr... #23955
18 y
5,712
- Re: Sorry to beat the Liver Flush dr... #59709
18 y
5,662
- Re: Sorry to beat the Liver Flush dr... #23955
19 y
6,637
- Re: How long are your fingers? CassieBlack
19 y
6,002
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