Does Shaving Make Your Hair Grow Back Thicker and Faster?

It is a proven fallacy. Testing has shown that the growth of hair is not thicker or faster once shaving begins. Many patients prefer to wax as it gives a smoother result and lasts longer than shaving. 

Shaving, waxing, and other depilatory techniques do not make hair thicker or grow faster.  Hair stubble appears thicker and as the hair grows longer it will look softer.  

There is plenty of  clinical research showing that shaving has no effect on hair growth. All it does is that it makes the hair blunted, so that it appears thicker. Hair tapers at the ends naturally, giving it a finer appearance, but when you shave it cuts this tapered section off. That's why it looks thicker, but it will eventually taper off with time.

Shaving has no effect on your hair growth. The only thing that it can do is make your hair look thicker. This is because when you cut the naturally tapered tips of each hair as you do when you shave, they become blunt and thus look thicker and darker.  

Shaving does not cause hair to grow back thicker nor faster. Shaving only affects the hair at the superficial layer of the skin, so it can't influence how it grows and it does not alter the actual follicle of hair beneath the skin. The hair follicle stays intact. Initially, when the hairs are growing out after shaving, they can appear/feel thicker due to the hairs growing out from the base. Once the hairs fully grow out to their original length, they should have the same thickness prior to shaving.

Shaving cannot make the hair grow thicker.
Before each laser hair removal treatment patients are asked to shave the area to prevent burning the skin. After each laser treatment you should have less and less hair growth and most patients do not need to shave every day like they used to. The roots of the hair that grows back in between the treatments will be damaged and when some hair grows back it should be thinned and lighter. So, shaving that hair is not going to make it grow back thicker.

Contrary to popular belief, shaving the hair does not result in thicker, faster, darker, or coarser hair growth. This is simply a myth. There is no effect on the hair growth cycle when hair is shaved, plucked, waxed, etc. Shaving does not alter the hair shaft below the skin surface, where growth and pigmentation occur. The fact is that shaving may cause the new hair growth to appear stubbly, dark, blunt ended, and sharp tipped, as it alters the tip shape and angle of growth, similar to the bristles on a brush, especially during the initial phase when the hair is short. However, there has been no change to the hair growth and hairs will naturally soften and lighten as they lengthen and with exposure to the sun, but who wants to wait for them to get long again?

Instead, many patients are opting for a more permanent solution such as laser hair removal, which can lead to 80-90% hair reduction, when performed by an experienced laser surgeon who has expertise in treating all skin types.

There is no correlation between shaving and increased hair growth. This myth is not based on any evidence. We hear this theory often from our patients.

Hair growth is stimulated by age-related genetic factors, hormonal influences, and the environment. Sometimes, infection or inflammation can cause premature loss of hair. Waxing and shaving have the side effect of causing folliculitis, deepithelialization, and ingrown hairs. Laser hair removal is safely performed, but in inexperienced hands, can lead to pigmentation problems.

Studies have shown that shaving does not make your hair grow thicker and faster, hair follicles are found deep in the skin, and the shaving process will not interfere with them; the hair thickness is determined by factors like hormones, gender, and the area where is located. It creates an illusion that grows faster than when you do waxing because you are only removing the superficial part of the hair; while waxing, you remove your entire hair from the root. While waxing, you can hair can take up to 4 weeks to regrow again, but you have the risk of burning or getting allergies from the wax.