Shaving Does Not Make Your Beard Grow Thicker or Faster

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Shaving does not stimulate an increase in beard growth, the origins of this myth center around errors of perception, well intentioned advice, and wishful thinking. The main reason shaving does not affect hair growth is the normal development of facial hair is predictable, determined by age, diet and ethnic background. Beyond genetic and environmental reasons, hair is composed mostly of “dead” keratin, the actual growth occurs under the skin, far beyond the reach of a razor. The remaining reasons are perceptual; stubble gives the illusion of thicker hair because it is stiffer, coarser and darker than unshaven hair. Tapering and softening occurs when hair grows furthering the illusion of initial growth. The sun and everyday chemical lightens hair due to exposure. The incidental observations of normal hair development, keratin, the tapering of hair, the visual/tactile response of stubble and solar fading lead to greatest of perception benders, the art of wishful thinking. This myth is common, perpetuated by helpful relatives, locker room crazy talk and machinations of wanting to be manly.

Key Points

“Dermatologists and dermatology textbooks agree that shaving has no affect of hair growth”1 That puts it bluntly, but you are not going to believe it because your Uncle told you it did. Below are reasons the above statement is true. Now if my little summary up top was not enough, then guess what? Lots of big words are coming your way. Before I get all Mr. Wizard on you, how about you hear a Doctors perspective.

Dr. Sean Hashmi. Your health and fitness coach: DrSeanHashmi.com External Link

Hair grows in cycles that change with age

So you started shaving when your voice got deeper, girls seemed to be the most interesting thing on the planet (still are), and you noticed that the hairs on your chinny chin chin started to grow. Welcome to puberty, this is a fascinating time that everyone wants to relive and forget. Don’t believe me, listen to every pop song ever written and watch most romantic comedies.  Facial hair growth begins in a predictable manner; Wikipedia2 can say it much better:

“Facial hair in males normally appears in a specific order during puberty: The first facial hair to appear tends to grow at the corners of the upper lip, typically between 14 to 16 years of age. It then spreads to form a moustache over the entire upper lip. This is followed by the appearance of hair on the upper part of the cheeks, and the area under the lower lip. The hair eventually spreads to the sides and lower border of the chin, and the rest of the lower face to form a full beard. As with most human biological processes, this specific order may vary among some individuals. Facial hair is often present in late adolescence, around ages 17 and 18, but may not appear until significantly later. Some men do not develop full facial hair for 10 years after puberty. Facial hair will continue to get coarser, darker and thicker for another 2-4 years after puberty.”

A wizened elder male in your life perhaps tells you shave so that your beard will grow back faster and thicker. Following the time line outlined above, of course you would believe that shaving has some effect.

Hair is dead, shaving does not affect it

Hair is composed primarily of keratinA, a mineralizedB protein which is dead like disco. Let’s start with a basic anatomy lesson. Hair has three main parts, the bulb at the base of the hair that originates from the dermis, the root is just below the surface and the shaft is the visible part of hair. All the growing of hair takes place in the bulb, by the time you see hair is already dead. This is the reason shaving has no effect; the hair follicle does not even know it has been shaved. No nerve ending are in hair, no systemic signal at all. If you would like to read more about the development and function of hair follicles I recommend the Wikipedia.com article External Link on the subject.

Hair tapers as it grows, therefore it is thicker when it initially grows

Think of ice cream cone, that is your hair. It is bigger at the base and tapers has it grows. This is gives the illusion of thicker hair when it initially grows. The larger surface area at the tip gives the false impression of thicker hair.

Stubble: Hair that is freshly shaved is blunted and coarser

If you cut anything on a bias it gives the impression of more surface area, watch enough Food Network and this gets beat into you, oh how I love Iron Chef America. I got off topic, it happens a lot. Anyway, this a quote from a recent article from AARP Bulletin Today, published January 29, 2009

[Editors Note: Quote is in response to the query, if  "Hair grows back thicker and darker after it has been shaven."]

This is simply not true, says Robin Ashinoff, M.D., director of Dermatologic, Mohs and Laser Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, N.J. “It only appears that hair is thicker after cutting because the proximal shaft [the part of the hair closest to the skin] is thicker in diameter,” she says. A strand of hair naturally tapers toward the end.

Paradi Mirmirani, M.D., a dermatologist at the Permanente Medical Group in Vallejo, Calif., adds, “Once it has been shaven, the hair will regrow with a blunt tip, which creates a more stubbly and rough feeling.”3

Think of the contrast in texture, your skin is smooth from a fresh shave and that lilac moisturizer you would never admit to using, and then here comes the stubble. It feels like sand paper, looks sexy in that 80’s Miami Vice way, but it’s all an illusion. Your not has cool as Crockett, your not even cool as Tubbs. However, “Heartbeat” by Don Johnson is still best way to impress the ladies in your Ferrari Daytona Spyder 365 GTS/4, light pink shirt, and linen suit. Don’t even pretend you don’t like this song.

Hair becomes lighter has it grows due to sun and chemical exposure

The sun fades anything but your skin. Your hair comes in darker as it first grows. Amazingly an equal amount of cosmetics have been devised to give that “sun kissed look” and to stop the “horrible effects of sun damage” on you beautiful tresses. Now I realize this is about head hair, but hair is hair, unless it’s a mullet, then it’s a life style. I really tried to find some references to cite for this, but all my searches led to icky pages filled with make up advice, people with self esteem concerns and ads for products that frighten me. If you don’t believe this happens, find a beautiful ladyC, take a picture of each others hair, and take her to the beach. Be clever; let the mood take over, you only live once. Remember the only place with less memory than Vegas is the beach. I recommend one of the following songs to set the ambiance.

“We Got Tonight” by Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton

“Slow Hand” by Conway Twitty

“Help Me Make It Through The Night” by Sammi Smith

Have one of those frozen girl drinks you love, its okay every one, I mean EVERYONE loves daiquiris. Put a fruit wedge on the glass, an umbrella on top and enjoy the boat drinks. Oh and take two more pictures and compare.

Perception

You just shaved, nice. Your face is smooth as silk, but you want that cave man look of yore, add a little machismo to your rep. The hair begins to grow, oh how slow it grows. Simply put you notice the first growth, it seems to be thicker and faster because of apparent change, with the progression of growth this is diminished. Just like you notice a ding on brand new car like the earth has stopped turning, a scratch on your old beater barely gets noticed.

Psychologists have a fancy term called “Perception Filter“4 basically it means if all you have is a hammer, all you see are nails. You want your beard to grow, hey it is manly. Add up all the above reasons and what you get is wishful thinking. When I look in the mirror I see a millionaire playboy adventurer, who is great at billiards, a famous raconteur and has to choose between threesomes or foursomes. Of course, I am delusional. You want your beard to grow thicker and faster, so your mind lets you think it is. Even after all the reasons listed, citing my sources, writing witty web banter, you still think I am wrong.

Random Facts

Hans Langseth - Seated in chair, 17 feet 6 inch beard, black and white

Public domain image, courtesy of North Dakota State University Libraries Institute for Regional Studies & Archives — Databases & Indexes: Library.Ndsu.edu External Link – via Wikimedia Commons – Commons.Wikimedia.org External Link

Further Reading

Descriptions are based on websites self description

Footnotes

References

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