Does Regular Shaving Thicken Your Beard?

[TimmyBoston]

Or this is just a medical urban legend?

One thing I noticed with my own beard. I never regularly shaved (even though I needed to for about the last 12 years) until a few months ago when another member here, Ratcheer, sparked my interest in traditional wetshaving and I began to shave daily. I have never been one of the men where you can see that "blue shadow" of stubble on their face immediately after they shave, but recently I have noticed it on my own face, I stretch the skin and can't feel a thing, it's baby's bottom smooth, but I can see my beard.

So I wondered if my beard is thickening naturally on it's own, I'm 26, that's not uncommon for one's beard to thicken naturally at my age or if my B&B routine is the cause. I had grew up hearing that shaving thickened your beard, but always read it was hogwash, now I'm curious, once again.

[Treedoc]

Tim, I too have noticed this 'phenomenon' and I am more than twice your age, I never noticed my 'beard shadow' like that until I started wet shaving properly.
John

[Baloosh]

I've just recently started noticing this phenomenon as well... interesting.

Anyone know?

[slcsteve]

No!

[Baloosh]

No!

"No" you don't know, or "No" to the question in the subject? :wink:

[ClockworkOrange]

Erm, no to the question.

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/hairgrow.asp

Check the references at the bottom of that page. And there's other references available as well.

But, in a word, no, shaving will not thicken your beard. Never. Can't be done. Does not happen. Can give the illusion of it, but shaving or clipping hair does not make it grow back thicker.

[vcowman]

Shooting from the hip, I hypothesize that that shaving is unnatural for the body and it is a natural reaction from us lopping off our winter coats on our faces every day. Lo, how I envy the Amish.:blush:

[AlwaysUK]

No Tim ..you're just getting old :001_unsur

[Areler67]

If you are using Propecia maybe:biggrin:

[slcsteve]

You know that when I say no, I mean no and not know. I know that you knew that. I also think that you knew that all along so I have nothing new to add.

(think genetics and hormones affecting beard growth)

[Baloosh]

You know that when I say no, I mean no and not know. I know that you knew that. I also think that you knew that all along so I have nothing new to add.

(think genetics and hormones affecting beard growth)

"Third base!"

(But how did you know I knew that you knew? Or did you not know, only knew that you knew that you thought that I knew? Ya know? No? Oh.)

My brain hurts now. :confused:

[Thebigspendur]

Its just an old barbers tale. Maybe your shaves aren't as close as you think eh?:eek:

[guenron]

Perhaps you are paying more attention to the ol' visage than before and never really noticed? :ohmy:

[Treedoc]

On further reflection I think that it is to do with being freshly washed with hot water. I just caught a few clips of Robert De Niro films on tv and in one clip in which he is a much younger man, he is hot and sweaty doing 'pull-ups' on one of those door bar thingies. Anyway, his blue beard shadow is very pronounced on his obviously clean shaven face, in all of the other clips he looks normal. So, hot and wet equals visible blue beard shadow?? Works for me. Whadaya think?

[moviemaniac]

i don't know about the beard thickening, but I've also got this problem with 2 spots on my chin - no matter how close I shave, there's always some slightly visible stuble. Odd thing is, I can't feel it though, sometimes even for many hours after the shave...

[Doc4]

No Tim ..you're just getting old :001_unsur

ditto :wheelchair:

[netsurfr]

I read in another thread that shaving with an M3 or similar razor may give the allusion or appearance of shaving closer because many of the beard hairs are lifted up and cut below the surface. Hence, many folks have a problem with ingrown hairs but the shave appears to be closer because the hairs are essentially cut below the surface and there is not as much shadow.
However, shaving with a DE or a str8 cuts the hair precisely at the surface so there is more potential for the hair end to be visible even though the shave feels BBS. Therefore, there may appear to be more of a shadow even though the shave feels much smoother.

Did that make sense? At any rate, that is an explanation that I have seen elsewhere.

[rhett121]

I remember reading somewhere that is just looks like it because the hair is cut off "at" the surface of the skin as opposed to "under" the skin like the multi blade razors do.

Also, you are probably noticing it more if, like myself, I wasn't a daily shaver for many years (because I hated it so much), and now I see myself clean shaven more often and as such, see myself with a day old beard more often so it just "look" unfamiliar.