Debunking the Myth: Shaving Does Not Make The Hair Grow Thicker and Faster

The hair serves as protection from harmful elements but sometimes they can be annoying. These unwanted body hair can be removed in different ways, like plucking, waxing, or shaving.

A person might prefer one way from another, but the myth says that shaving can make the hair grow faster and thicker. Is that true at all?

According to the Mayo Clinic, shaving the body hair will not make it grow faster and thicker. Shaving will give the body hair a blunt tip which might feel coarse or stubbly for a time as it is growing. During this phase, the hair may look darker and thicker but it actually is not.

Still, the myth goes on for many years and generations which may be due to the different appearance of hair regrowth. Here are some scientific facts about hair regrowth and why it does not grow thicker after shaving.

Shaving Does Not Affect the Thickness of the Hair

Healthline reported that shaving the unwanted body hair does not mean it will grow back thicker and faster. The myth goes back many years ago because people have noticed that unshaven hair looks different from hair regrowth.

Regrown hair has a coarse base while unshaven hair has a finer, blunter tip. Also, new hair looks a bit darker than the unshaven hair due to its thickness and also because the new hair has not been exposed to natural elements, like the SUn, soap, and other chemicals that could lighten the hair.

Moreover, since the regrown hair is still new the person may not be accustomed to it yet. For those with lighter skin, the regrown hair may also seem noticeable because of color contrast and not something that is attributed to the shaving process.

Although shaving unwanted hair can bring unwanted side effects, which are mostly associated with improper shaving techniques. These side effects include razor burn, irritation, contact dermatitis, cuts, ingrown hairs, blisters, pimples, and itchy skin.

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Hair Growth Cycle

The hair on the scalp grows about 0.3 to 0.4 mm per day or about 6 inches a year. Humans do not shed hair on a seasonal basis because they can lose hair at a random time and at a random number. Human hair regrowth comes in three stages, according to WebMD.

The first stage is called Anagen which is the active phase of the hair where the roots are dividing rapidly. The new hair pushes the club hair up the follicle to replace it.

But not everyone has the same period of the active phase of growth that is why they could have difficulty in growing their hair. Like the hair on the arms, legs, eyelashes, and eyebrows which only have 30-45 days of active phase that explains why they are shorter than the hair on the scalp.

The second stage is the catagen or the transitional stage where about 3% of all the hair is replaced which can last for two to three weeks. The growth stops and the outer root sheath shrinks and attached to the hair, forming the club hair.

The last stage is the telogen or also called the resting phase wherein the hair follicle is completely at rest and the club hair is completely formed. A hair pulled out during this phase will reveal a solid, hard, dry, and white hair material at the root. Typically, there are 25 to 100 hairs under the telogen phase being shed every day.