“Shaving makes hair grow back thicker, darker, or faster.”

It's a common belief that reaching for a razor will result in a thicker, darker, or faster regrowth of hair, a notion that has likely persisted for generations. This misconception may have originated from early observations of hair regrowth after shaving, where the stubble felt different and looked more prominent, leading to the conclusion that the hair itself had changed.

Scientifically, this idea simply doesn't hold up. Shaving only removes the dead portion of the hair shaft above the skin's surface; it doesn't affect the living hair follicle beneath the skin responsible for hair growth. Studies have consistently shown that shaving has no impact on the actual thickness, color, or growth rate of hair. New hair growth from the follicle is not stimulated to be coarser or darker by the act of shaving.

The reason this myth endures is largely due to how hair grows and how we perceive it. When hair is shaved, the razor cuts the hair shaft bluntly, leaving a blunt tip. This blunt tip can feel coarser to the touch as it emerges, unlike the naturally tapered end of unshaved hair. Additionally, freshly shaved hair, having not yet been exposed to sunlight or environmental elements, might appear darker simply because it hasn't been lightened or worn down. These tactile and visual differences create the illusion of altered hair, reinforcing the long-standing misconception.