A lot of guys, smart guys, ask the question: Does cutting your hair make it grow back thicker? Does a shave make your beard thicker?
The answer is no on all counts. I’ll tell you why, and I think it will actually help you understand the importance of a good shave and cut. We’ll start with myth-busting and explanations first, then move on to the good news.
Recently cut hair looks darker, and that gets confused with thickness.
Hair regrowth after a cut may appear darker or thicker for a time. Why? Well, one of the reasons it looks darker is because it’s not been exposed to things like the sun, soaps, or other chemicals, which could lighten it over time.
Newly-grown hair is especially coarse, so it feels thicker.
On to the second area of confusion. As newly-cut hair starts to grow (remember, short hair is more coarse), you’re feeling all this coarseness on your face or your head. Contrast that with what it feels like when you run your hand through a grown-out beard or hair that’s fully grown out.
Guys who worry about thinning or dealing with receding hairlines often get their hopes up when they feel that coarse root. Fellas, come on over, and we’ll get you a really close cut that’s sculpted to make you look handsome and manly as hell. Don’t even worry about it.
Cut hair looks thicker because exposed roots are thicker than hair strands.
When your hair has never been cut or trimmed, it has a nice fine point on it, making it appear thinner.
Then I come in and start cutting, or here’s what happens: that fine point is gone. That hair is flush to the skin. And so visually, you’re actually seeing a cross-section of that hair. There’s more surface area, and again, the roots are not just feeling coarse but looking thick.
It’s easy to confuse the appearance of a newly uncovered hair root with thicker hair.
But, if you think about it, that’s about the same as confusing the stump of a giant redwood tree with the branches at the top. Do you see what I’m saying?
Now, when I run a razor or cut your hair close, I’m taking off the tops of the redwood. The closer the cut, the less taper, and the more stump, looking gigantic. A stubby tree looks bigger. A stubby, flat hair does, too. So, yeah, your hair looks thicker, but the hair is actually not becoming thicker from a shave or close cut.
Why doesn’t hair grow back thicker just like muscles grow back stronger?
Hair is kind of like a fiber, and it’s made of keratin, which is the same stuff your nails are made of. Keratin is a protein (yeah, man, I read books). So, all the hair that gets shaved off or cut off is made of this protein, keratin.
The thing about keratin is that it’s not “alive.” I think the right word is biologically active. Your hair, just like your fingernails, is not alive. The outer part of a horse’s hoof is not alive, either. It’s all the same stuff.
It doesn’t hurt when I take clippers to your hair because your hair is just made of this keratin stuff—there’s no blood going in to give you oxygen, and there are no nerves, either.
It’s a different story with skin and muscle. Muscle gets damaged and grows back stronger. Skin that’s damaged a lot starts to get hard and callous.
Your hair can’t send signals to your brain, let alone ask for some thickness.
So, to sum up this craziness, the hair on your face and head that we cut is already dead. It’s been sent out to do its job without a return trip planned.
Obviously, if it’s not talking to your brain, then it can’t send signals back (through the follicle, which is just below the root) and say, “Hey, I just got sliced; can you grow me back thicker this time?”
Hair growth just keeps going as long as hormones and genetics allow it to.
Most people cut their hair when it gets too long or starts to grow out and lose its shape—whatever. The point is that hair on your face, head, and neck is going to grow until it’s cut, then start growing again.
Scientists and barbers agree.
Back in 1928, a lady by the name of Mildred Trotter got some guys together and did a proper experiment. Here’s Mildred:
“The present paper is a report of the results obtained by shaving a selected part of the beard area. The beard, more than any other part of the hairy covering of the body, is commonly believed to be increased by shaving.”¹
Mildred was meticulous in this study. She sharpened and dispensed the same razors and had the guys use the same shaving cream. This lady also controlled the water temperature, time of day, and more. The study went on for months.
Mildred’s Conclusion: Shaving did not affect hair color, texture, or growth rate. Does cutting your hair make it grow back thicker? Again, no.
But wait—can a good shave or fade make your hair look thicker?
So, I dug up study material from twenty years ago and brushed up on my trichology, just to add to the many articles already debunking this question. Here’s the good news.
“Thicker hair” is real when it looks real.
What do I say when a guy asks, “Does cutting your hair make it grow back thicker,” my response is, “Yeah, we can thicken that out and add some body.” I’m telling the truth.
Want thicker hair? Get the right shave and fade for your hair and face.
A good shave or cut creates a look of thickness and vitality, and that’s what matters. Thinning hair in a few places? Every barber in the shop can deal with that. It’s just a matter of choosing and executing a cut and a beard that’s a good fit for your face and directs people’s eyes away from what you don’t want to be seen.
If we need to add volume or set your cut in place, we’ll use some Suavecito Pomade or Rolda Hair Texturizing Styling Powder, both old-school favorites of mine because they work in the barber shop and work at home.
Thick, good-looking hair comes from meticulous barbering. Let Mother Nature do her thing. We’ll do ours, and that’s keeping you looking good and feeling good.
Book your next haircut at Fort Worth’s best barbershop.
Come see us on 8th Avenue for a nice, clean shave and fade with a precision edge-up. Always high-performing. Always consistent.
Book an appointment online, and I’ll see you in the shop soon.
– George The Classic Barber
References
- Trotter M. Hair Growth and Shaving. The Anatomical Record. 1928 Feb;37(4):373–9.
