If you are a woman with a little more hair on your upper lip than you would like, you’ve probably always thought that shaving that hair would make it grow back darker and thicker than before. Your mother probably warned you the first time you wanted to shave your legs that the hair would only return – but worse. And even informative health websites state that shaving makes the hair grow back darker and thicker. Those of you who have shaved some part of your body have witnessed how quickly that dark stubble seems to pop up.
There are great scientific studies that prove that the hair you shave off does not grow back any darker or thicker than it ever was. As early as 1928, a clinical trial demonstrated that shaving had no effect on hair growth. When the researchers in that trial shaved patches of hair on some people but not on others, they did not find any difference in how fast the hair grew back. More recent studies confirm these findings.
The key to understanding this myth is knowing what really happens when hair is shaved off. Shaving removes the dead portion of hair, not the living section beneath the skin’s surface. As it doesn’t touch the portion of the hair that is responsible for growth, it is unlikely that shaving could change how fast the hair grows or what it looks like. In contrast, waxing and other forms of hair removal that pull the hairs out from below the skin actually can alter how fast the hair grows back. In fact, these methods, not shaving, might push the hairs into a phase of more rapid growth. So why does this myth persist?
An optical illusion is probably to blame. When you slice off the hair with a razor, it leaves a sharp end. Because these shaved hairs lack the tapered look of unshaven hair, it appears that the hair itself is thicker (even though it’s not). It also may have a rougher feel because of that sharp edge. Additionally, the new hairs growing in have not yet had a chance to be lightened by the sun or other chemical exposures, so they are initially darker than existing hair – though they will lighten up just like the other hairs over time.
And think about it – if this myth were true, we would have a way to forestall baldness in men. And, as Aaron so often tells his friends, shaving your head will absolutely not make your hair grow back thicker and faster!