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Does Shaving Make Your Hair Thicker?

Last Updated on November 30, 2021

Does Shaving Make Your Hair Thicker?

Whether you shave your legs, facial hair, or both, you’ve no doubt heard that hair grows back thicker and darker after shaving. Whether it was from your parents before your first shave or your friends when discussing grooming routines we’ve all been told that same thing at some point.

Contrary to popular belief, shaving hair doesn’t change its thickness, color, or even how fast it will grow back. It’s actually all down to genetics and not your razor.

Hair grows from the follicle, which is located in the deeper dermis layer of the skin. When you shave, you remove hair at the skin surface only and not from the follicle. So while shaving may provide a smooth surface to the touch, in reality, several millimeters of hair remain in the dermis. Therefore, you’re not actually doing anything to the hair follicle itself.

 

What Can Change Your Hair?

So shaving doesn’t make our hair thicker, but there are some hair removal methods out there that do as they remove the follicle. These methods can harm the follicle over time leading the hair to grow back less dense and with a finer texture. Waxing and laser hair removal are both methods that remove the follicle. Laser removal zaps hair from the follicle and can either cause it to grow back thinner or to stop growing back at all, but it can be costly.

 

Why Does Hair Grow Back Fast?

Just like how body hair grows back at different rates for different people, the hair on various areas of your body also can grow back at different speeds. For example, armpit hair generally grows back 50 percent quicker than the hair on our legs. This is why if you shave both areas, you may shave your armpits more frequently than your legs and why you may find yourself barely ever having to shave other areas.

You may also find yourself noticing hairs more if you’re on the lookout for them. There may not be any change to your hair growth but if you’re being especially observant of your rate of growth due to your attention being brought to your hair then you may notice acute details and the slightest changes that you may have previously not noticed.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is shaving good for hair growth?

Does shaving your hair make hair grow back thicker? No. That’s a myth that persists despite scientific evidence to the contrary. Shaving has no effect on new growth and doesn’t affect hair texture or density. It can have positive effects such as exfoliation, however, which is good for the skin.

Does shaving peach fuzz make hair grow thicker?

Many people think that shaving your legs or underarms causes thicker hair growth. This is false. It’s biologically impossible for hair to grow back thicker because of shaving. After removing the vellus hair, your skin will instantly feel and look smoother and brighter.

Why is my hair so thin?

Thinning hair can be caused by many factors, including genes, diet, stress, and illness. Thinning hair isn’t just a problem that men suffer from. Women lose their hair too, and while it’s often to a much lesser extent, it can be just as distressing to deal with. However, many people naturally have thin hair and no other health problems so it’s rarely anything to worry about.

What can help hair growth?

There are a lot of options for this and with varying results so unfortunately there isn’t a clear answer for this. Some popular options include drinking kiwi juice or eating eggs. Vitamin A and B are also good for promoting cell growth and hair growth.

Should you brush your hair if it is thinning?

Gentle strokes help prevent hair breakage and scalp irritation. It’s also best to start brushing your hair at the ends and work your way up to the roots to prevent unnecessary tugging.

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