It’s November, or “Movember,” when men refrain from shaving their beards and mustaches to raise funds and awareness about prostate carcinoma.
Many women also join in the fun by refusing to shave their legs, armpits, or other body parts for a month. According to a report from 2008, 80 to 90% of American women regularly remove their body hair.
Will this time away from shaving affect the texture of your hair? It’s a common belief that moms and grandmas pass down to their children and grandchildren that shaving causes your hair to grow thicker and darker, making it harder to remove the next time you use a razor on your leg. Does shaving affect hair color or growth?
Jessica Wu, MD, is an expert dermatologist at Everyday Health and assistant clinical professor of Dermatology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Your hair is dead, and shaving doesn’t change the living part, the follicle deep beneath the skin.
This is supported by research published as early as the 1920s. Researchers measured how fast individual hair shafts grow after shaving. They found that shaving away hair did not affect hair growth. A 1970 classic study examined five men who shaved their legs weekly for several weeks and left the other leg untouched. The shaved and unshaved legs had the same rate of hair growth, texture, or density.
Dr. Wu says this is a common misconception because hairs naturally grow at a pointy end, making them appear thinner. “However, shaving hair at a blunted angle makes hairs appear thicker – you can see the cross section.”
The regrowth of your shaved locks may be coarser or thicker. The hair can appear darker when compared to the skin. This is just because it is more visible. Wu says that the size of the hair follicle determines how thick your body hair is, and your melanocytes, which produce the pigment melanin that colors your hair and skin, determine how dark it will be.
Although shaving will not cause your body hairs to grow thicker or darker, it can produce bristly stubble, which many women prefer to avoid.
Try these tips for a closer, smoother shave:
- Use a razor that is clean and sharp. Replace your blade or razor whenever it gets dull — this can depend on how often you shave.
- Use a moisturizing cream or gel to help lubricate your hair.
- To remove dead skin that can clog the razor, gently exfoliate between shaving sessions.
- After showering, moisturize with lotion to keep your skin smooth and soft.
Other popular methods of hair removal include threading, depilatories, and waxing. Dr. Wu says that “waxing or threading is the best method for achieving smooth results because it removes the hair at the root.” Electrolysis and Laser Hair Removal are also available to be free of body hair forever. They target the hair follicles to remove them permanently.