Does Shaving Facial Hair Make It Grow Back Thicker?

Beards have made a comeback of late, and no doubt if you have significant facial hair it can be incredibly therapeutic to stroke your beard, whether consciously or not. There’s also a pervasive rumour that shaving your facial hair can make it grow back thicker.

However, this rumour is actually a hair loss myth — shaving your facial hair doesn’t make it grow back thicker. In addition, too much beard stroking can put increased stress on your hair, causing it to fall out and become patchy. In addition, it also transfers more oil into the hair, which can cause skin irritation beneath the beard and breakouts of acne or oily skin.

Is the skin on your face the same as the rest of your body?

No — the skin on our faces is much more sensitive than other parts of the body and requires a different cleansing and upkeep routine too [2]. Improper treatment of your facial skin can also have an effect on your facial hair too, in both men and women.

Can all men grow a beard?

While most men see the ability to grow a thick, healthy and luscious beard as a natural birthright, for some this isn’t always the case. Some of this can be down to genetic conditions, but there could also be aspects of your daily cleansing routine or habits that can affect healthy facial hair growth too. Many men are now turning to beard transplants to address their slow or patchy beard growth.

Does it matter which razor I use?

If you like the clean-shaven look, it’s important to ensure you use sharp razors to cope with the job at hand. Using blunt razors or poor quality ones is a sure fire way to not only cut your face, but also to affect the growth of your facial hair. Hair can actually chip a razor blade — so cheap razors can become blunt very quickly [3].

With a blunt razor, you can put too much pressure on your skin to get a close shave that can cause the skin to become irritated, as well as encourage ingrown hairs. However, investing in a decent swivel head, razor and regularly changing the blades will give you a closer shave and less skin irritation that can affect hair growth

Find out what other tools to use and how to trim a beard for professional results.

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The Complete Beard Grooming Guide

What’s the best shaving technique?

Another factor that can damage facial hair is your shaving technique. You should always shave in the direction of the hair growth, not against it [4]. This will reduce the instances of ingrown hairs and shaving rash and encourage healthier hair growth too.

Can soap cause problems growing a beard?

Another aspect that can affect your facial hair is the type of chemicals you use on your face. While you may think that using a standard soap on your face is fine, it can contain harsh chemicals that can dry out the skin. This in turn can cause facial hair growth concerns, such as ingrown hairs or possibly reduced growth or hair loss.

Can women damage facial hair growth?

Of course, most women don’t want a full beard to contend with, but other areas of the face, such as eyebrows can be more of a concern. Many women with fine, thin haired eyebrows could actually be damaging eyebrow hair growth, making them look even thinner, through over-plucking and the use of harsh eyebrow dyes and colourants too.

Have more questions? Speak to a facial hair expert

If you’re suffering from facial hair loss or growth concerns, we at the Wimpole Clinic can help. As specialists in hair transplants, we offer a wide range of services and sound advice to help you get your confidence back. Get in touch to ask us any questions you have about your facial hair growth.