To Shave or Not To Shave

I was recently surprised to learn that there are still people, reasonably educated people, who still believe that shaving causes hair to grow back thicker, fuller, faster.

Adult people who have gone to college, even.

Despite there being a singular lack of logic to this belief.

Let's examine:

• If shaving caused hair to grow in thicker, balding men (and women) would be wise to shave their heads to encourage thicker re-growth.

- Personal Observation: I've been shaving my head fairly regularly for close to 10 years now, and each time I let it grow back for more than a few weeks, I note that my hair, if anything, is actually thinner than it was the last time.

• Assuming hair growth (or loss) is determined by genetics, then in what way does shaving cause a change to one's genetic make-up?
• Assuming hair growth (or loss) is determined by diet, environment, or other non-genetic factors, how would shaving alter those non-genetic factors?

- Personal Observation: I've been shaving my face fairly regularly for about 20 years. Every time I let my beard grow for more than a week, it becomes painfully obvious that I am no closer to dressing up as Grizzly Adams or playing Santa Claus this year than I was last year.

Ultimately, I have determined that there are some reasons why people are inclined to believe in the false assertion that shaving affects the rate or fullness of hair-growth. And a quick Google-search of "Does shaving cause hair to grow?" vindicated my thoughts.

• A strand of hair is thicker in the middle than it is at the [natural] end. Therefore, when you cut it, you go from having naturally thin end, to having a thicker end - giving the illusion of increased thickness
• Additionally, making a comparison of a single hair to, say, a blade of grass or a length of rope, it is possible to see a characteristic shared between them. When they are short, they have a relative stiffness when compared to longer versions. This makes stubble rough and un-bending, which could be interpreted as being thicker or fuller... though it's not.

I have also developed my own considered theory as to how this particular myth was born, and why we continue to perpetuate it.

Boys
The parents of boys will almost uniformly encounter the embarrassing time when their pubescent child will decide that it's time to grow a moustache.  This time will most likely come sometime between the ages of 10 and 14.

The parents of said adolescent will try to find some innocuous way to hint to their peach-fuzzy offspring that it isn't really time to grow it out.  This could come in the form of a razor in a stocking at Christmas, or an elaborately wrapped birthday present.  A way of stating "You are becoming a man! Here is a manly gift, a razor!  If you shave, you are a man!"

This works pretty well.  I know how jealous I was when my older brother got an electric shaverr at Christmas... I was sure I needed one, too.  I totally would have started shaving.

This may not work if the fuzzy-faced pre-teen would rather demonstrate his manliness with actual hair, rather than with a shaver that stays in the bathroom, undisplayed to the world at large (aka all the girls at school).

Thus the LIE: "It's kind of peach-fuzzy right now, but if you shave it, it will grow in thicker and thicker.  You'll just have to shave it once or twice a week (or month) and before you know it, you'll have a nice full beard!"

Girls
The parents (probably the fathers more than the mothers), in an effort to keep their girls young and innocent, forever children, never ever ever to become interested in, or the interest of, boys... at least until they are 30, use a similar tactic to forestall leg-shaving.

The LIE: "You know if you start shaving your legs now, the hair will just grow in thicker and fuller and faster.  You should just leave it alone for now."

Summary
Boys want hair, so wr tell them to shave it.
Girls don't want hair, so we tell them to let it grow.
Parents are awesome.