Myth: Shaving causes hairs to grow faster and thicker.
You may have wanted to take a shave but hesitated or decided not to because you believed it would just make your hair grow back faster, thicker or even more coarse.
Well, fear no more, because that is no more than a mere myth. In fact, hair growth and texture has nothing to do with shaving.
This myth was debunked some decades ago. But surprisingly, it remains quiet popular.
The reason why it remains popular may be due to the fact that hair regrowth after a shave often have a different appearance at first.
However, the rate of hair regrowth and texture is largely dependent on gene pool.
No matter what part of your body you shave, it doesn’t mean the hair will grow back faster or thicker.
What actually happens when you shave is that the razor slices off dead hair at the surface of the skin.
So in essence, shaving doesn't remove hair under the skin.
And therefore, it's impossible for it the affect the texture or rate of growth.
Once the hairs start to emerge back through the surface of your skin, they may look and feel thicker due to the blunt end from where the razor cut the hair, but they really aren’t.
Also, it's important to note that hair growth occurs in stages and younger emerging hairs tend to look different because the new hair hasn’t yet been exposed to natural elements.
In fact, if you notice a sudden increase in facial or body hair, it could be a medication side effect or a sign of an underlying medical condition.
Longer lasting solutions that remove hair from root include waxing, epilation and laser hair removal.
Moreso, improper shaving techniques can lead to skin irritation, razor burn, cuts, ingrown hairs, blisters, pimples, itchy skin and a host of others.
Tips for proper shaving include, wetting your skin first, applying a shaving gel or shave with the direction of natural hair growth, not against, rinse your skin with cool water to reduce inflammation and irritation and apply a moisturizer or aftershave lotion.