Does shaving affect hair growth?

There is a common belief that if you crop your hair (or shave it), it will grow back thicker than before. There are other, similar beliefs, like the idea that if you pluck out one grey hair, two more will grow in its place.

Conversely, there is also the belief (among some people) that shaving your hair will cause it to grow back thinner, and eventually lead to baldness. Similarly, some people believe that wearing tight hats, or brushing the hair too much, will lead to baldness.

In case you were wondering, none of these ideas is true.

The hair we see on our heads is dead protein. All hair growth takes place in the hair follicle, which is below the skin. When we cut or shave our hair, we're cutting or shaving the dead part of it that has grown out past the surface of the skin. This doesn't affect hair growth in any way, neither positively nor negatively.

If shaving somehow did increase hair growth, you can be sure that we'd know about it, because it would essentially be a cure for male pattern baldness. Billions of dollars are spent every year by men trying to re-grow their hair. If all they had to do was shave it for a while, you'd be seeing a lot more shiny domes in the short term.

And conversely, if shaving caused hair to come back thinner or disappear, then we wouldn't need to keep shaving our beards. Granted, beard hair is different from scalp hair, but at the least, those of us who shave our heads would expect hair loss from the scalp to be even, and not focused on the top as it actually is.

However, there may be reasons why people think that shaving can affect growth.

Consider this situation: your hair is receding. You shave it all off and then, after some period of time, you re-grow your hair. You will almost certainly have less hair than before you shaved. Although this is attributable to natural hairloss, it may seem to some people that because they shaved, they lost more hair.

Conversely, one might shave one's head, live the bald life for a while, and then re-grow it without suffering any hair loss or gain. Some people, having become unaccustomed to the sight of their hair, might perceive even more hair than they previously perceived. In this scenario, a person might believe that shaving actually increased hair growth.

While these perceptions might arise naturally, they do not reflect reality. Shaving your head will neither increase nor decrease the number of hairs on your head, nor will it affect their thickness or colour. All shaving will do is to make your hair really short for a while.

Some related links:

Does shaving stimulate hair growth / hypertrichosis? [keratin.com] - Includes references to a study done in the 1920's showing that there is no link between shaving and hair growth.

Top Ten Hair Myths - Myth #1 is "Cutting your hair makes it stronger or grow faster."

The advantages of stubble

Dave Attell is a pretty funny guy. He's got a show called Insomniac that I enjoy watching. His humour can be a bit coarse at times, and so can his head.

Dave shaves his head, but he doesn't shave it all the way down. It's just really, really short. Stubble-length hair. And it suits him.

Personally, I enjoy shaving my head all the way down. I think it looks great, and I find it very comfortable. But I have to admit, the stubble thing has its advantages too.

Going stubble length means you can take longer between shaves. After a week or two, your hair is still really short. If you're shaving smooth, you have to shave several times a week. A stubble man can save a lot of time.

And since you don't need to shave with a blade, it's an easy way to avoid nicks, cuts, razor burn, razor bumps, and any other problems that can arise with blade shaving.

In short, the stubble-length haircut is a lot more practical than a smoothly-shaved head. It's easier to maintain, but still offers most of the advantages that other bald-by-choice people enjoy. For those who don't want to shave all the way (for whatever reason), the shaved-to-stubble look is a great alternative.

When I go on vacation, I often go the stubble route. It gives me more time to enjoy the vacation experience. And if I'm staying with friends, this means I won't be monopolizing the bathroom as much as I do at home.

Of course, I still think the smoothly-shaved head looks better, but that's just my opinion.

Instant refresher

One of my favorite things about having a shaved head has always been the way it feels. Some examples: I love the way it feels when a gentle breeze hits my scalp, the way water rolls over it in the shower, the way it warms up nicely on a sunny day.

I also like the way I can instantly refresh myself by splashing a bit of water on my head. This is something you can't do quite so easily if you have hair; the hair stays wet, whereas I can dry my scalp off quickly and easily.

For instance, I enjoy taking long walks in the city. It's not uncommon for me to walk for 2 hours to a mall or a library on a nice spring or summer day. The thing is, when I arrive, I'm often sweaty, which doesn't make for a comfortable stay at my chosen destination.

It's not a real problem, though, because a few minutes in a bathroom provides plenty of opportunity to wash my entire head (face, scalp, neck) and dry it off. Voila, instant comfort. No bathroom? That's not really a problem either, as long as I can get access to some water via a water fountain or even a water bottle.

Any time that I'm feeling over-heated, a quick splash of the wet stuff is all it takes to cool me down. Dipping a bandana in water and wearing it do-rag style works really well too. It's an any-time kind of deal, and I never have to worry about my hair looking matted or messy.

Wetting hair

When you are shaving your head, an important first step is getting your hair/stubble wet. Hair gets softer when it is wet. Soft hair is easier on the blade, tends to cut straight (which helps to avoid razor bumps), and provides for a more-comfortable shaving experience.

So how exactly should you go about getting your hair as wet as possible? I'm aware of three different ways.
The best way to ensure that your hair is as wet as possible is to take a shower. Get under that showerhead, soap up your head, and enjoy it. Some people choose to shave right there in the shower; others might dry off (except the scalp) and shave at the sink. Either way, your hair should be ready for shaving.

Another possibility is the 'wet towel' method. Soak a towel in hot/warm water, and wrap it around your head for a few minutes. It wouldn't hurt to splash some water on your head first. I've heard suggestions of between 3 and ten minutes for the length of time you should wear the towel; for most people, 3 minutes sounds about right for me. If you have trouble with razor bumps, do it for 5 or more minutes.

Finally, there's the method I use myself, whic consists of splashing warm/hot water onto my head for several minutes. I like to fill the sink halfway with warm water, then fill my cupped hands with water and 'rub' it into my scalp. After several minutes, I can usually tell when I'm ready to shave; the hair feels softer.

Any of these methods will probably work well for most people who shave their heads. People suffering from shaving problems, like razor bumps and razor burn, would probably benefit most from the shower method. I use the 'splash' method myself because it's quicker and I haven't had any problems with it thus far.