Poll: The shaving myth

[Rhatar Khurin]

I have found letting my stubble grow out into a beard type thing and then shaving it makes it grow back faster than if I shave every day/few days.

I also have found this.

To grow a beard you have to do this or else it comes out all weird. Although i grow it out for around 2 weeks and then shave.

 

[Chameliondude]

I know that the first few times you shave it will definatly grow back faster and thicker but im not sure how much it is affected after many times

 

[Pimppeter2]

It does for chest hair for sure.

I do it with my beard, but I can't really tell if its making a difference

 

[cleverlymadeup]

yes it does, it's not an over night thing, it takes a few years before you notice a big difference

 

[ace_of_something]

Dear god I hope not.


My work-partner throws stuff in my beard when I'm not paying attention (don't ask) and I won't even feel it.
I have to use clippers, than a hand razor than I can usually use an electric one to smooth it out if I want to be clean shaven after a few days.
This is why i stopped shaving everything except my neck as soon as my job allowed me to. I have a 2 month beard that's going to need trimming soon before I get in trouble.

My brothers and I have determined though that the thickness thing takes years to take effect too. Though that could just be 'it gets thicker as you get older'

 

[Abedeus]

I think so. I stopped shaving more than 2 weeks ago and it's not as big as I had expected it to be.

When I was shaving myself few times a week, it just seemed pointless...

 

[Sevre]

I think it does, in fact I'm sure it does.

 

[struwwelman]

It might seem to grow back thicker, but shaving constantly won't give better beard growth.

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/hairgrow.asp

 

[Agema]

I'm pretty sure this is a myth.

I think some people get this idea that shaving makes it grow faster and thicker because from the point boys start shaving at 14 or whenever, over time they have to shave more frequently and cut thicker bristles. However, this is just because ageing from puberty to adulthood causes your beard to become thicker and grow faster. Suggesting it's because of shaving itself is putting the cart before the horse.

Bear in mind hair growth can increase when puberty is finished, and well into old age in some cases: your beard can carry on getting thicker, you get more body hair, longer eyebrows, ear hair, and nose hair. Enjoy.

 

[Skeleon]

I'd assume it's just an optical effect of how stubbles look or something.

 

[irishdelinquent]

I volunteer as a test subject for an experiment! I have to shave my beard for my halloween costume (captain hammer, btw), so I'll tell you whether my beard grows back faster than it usually does.

 

[Trivun]

I know of no scientific evidence to support this. On the other hand, I have always had to shave about once a week (I grow stubble quite quickly so it takes about a week to get to the point where I really desperately need to shave). No matter how much I shave this time does not increase or decrease, and neither does the thickness of my facial hair. So no, I don't think shaving does make it grow faster or thicker. It doesn't have any effect as far as I can see.

 

[Murlin]

people keep telling me it does so I take it it does.

 

[Aac18]

How exactly does your body know the difference? It's not like you're taking the hair out at the root... I can see this explaination for waxing but as hair is dead it makes no sense. That's like saying your hair grows thicker if you cut it.

Your hair grows the same amount but it does get thinner near the end of the strand, which is why if you cut off the end through shaving/getting your hair cut, it seems like it's thicker than before. The root itself is no thicker.

The body itself is not directly aware of the length of the hair (I explained it a bit poorly). Basically the root hair cell itself is aware that it has been damaged and this causes it to adapt and grow back more rapidly and with more "ferocity" (read the hair is thicker).

 

[Proteus214]

It only seems that way when people start shaving since that's usually during puberty when, yes, your facial hair is starting to grow in faster and thicker than before.

 

[Sebass]

If this was true, your grandfather would have to shave every hour or he'd have a 5 inch beard by the end of the day .. C'mon people.

 

[Ben Legend]

I have to shave every couple of days... bloody man hood!!!

 

[GoldenCondor]

It only gains thickness after the first few shaves, then it stays at a certain width because the skin pores would have been disrupted maximally. While all this is going on, it is also growing at a rapid pace.

For me, I didn't feel I needed to shave for a month after the first time.
Then, it became around three weeks.
Then, two weeks.
One and a half weeks.
One week.
And because it took one week for it to be pretty noticeable, that means I had to shave every 3-4 days to make sure it doesn't look like it's there.

And now I'm shaving every 3-4 days, although I might need to pace it up to every 2 days.

 

[Chris^^]

depends on the person, some people have naturally quick growing and thick hair, so theirs grows back at a faster rate than others, and vice versa.

i hate shaving personally, i only ever grow a patchy/scraggy beard so its really annoying to deal with

 

[Undercover]

What it actually does is blunt the hair that's already there.

So no, shaving does not make it thicker. It makes it look thicker

This isn't based on personal experience or opinion. This is based on a knowledge of cutaneous histology and physiology.

I smell a med student... (Glances at screen name)

Yep, med student