QuickCheck: Will shaving make your beard grow back thicker?

AN OLD wives tale states that shaving your will make facial hair grow back thicker.

Is this true?

Verdict:

FALSE

This myth has made many a young men diligently shave off the 'peach fuzz' on their cheeks and chins every day in the hopes that it would grow back nice and thick.

Unfortunately for them, this myth is false. Constant shaving does not stimulate new growth.

Facial hair, and hair in general, is dead once it grows out of a follicle and as it grows it gets weathered with time which makes the tips thinner than its base.

When you shave, you cut the hair off at the base and blunt tip. The tip might feel coarse or "stubbly" for a time as it grows out.

During this phase, the hair might be more noticeable and perhaps appear darker or thicker — but it's not.

So shaving off 'peach fuzz,' just leads to more 'peach fuzz, and wannabe mountain-men will just have to wait until their time comes.

References:

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/hair-removal/faq-20058427

2. https://www.healthline.com/health/does-shaving-make-hair-thicker