Does shaving increase beard growth? No, it doesn’t. Shaving your beard or any other part of your body will not make your hair grow faster. This is a common misconception surprisingly many people believe. Unfortunately, there’s no proven scientific evidence that can back up this claim. There are many factors that come into play when it comes to beard growth. Fortunately, there are many changes you can make that can help to boost your beard’s growth potential. So, what makes people believe that once you take a razor to your skin your hair will grow back at an accelerated rate? Let’s find out.
Does shaving increase beard growth? It doesn’t. This is simply a myth. Diet, exercise, the right razor, and routine maintenance can all have a positive impact on growth. Diets that are high in biotin can promote healthier hair follicles, as can a diet that’s high in protein. Beard care products will keep your skin healthy, the hair follicles healthy, and your beard well-hydrated and looking great.
Proper skin care and hair care are crucial in terms of growing out your beard faster. A dry and brittle beard will not grow as fast as a healthy, clean, well-hydrated beard. Keep in mind that even following the proper diet and using the right products will not make your hair grow faster than average. But with proper care, you can expect an average growth of 4.75 inches a year.
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The Myth
There are a few basic reasons why some people believe that shaving can make your hair grow faster. This is because when you do grow hair it will naturally shed a lot of hair during the growth phase. The hair goes through a total of four different phases of growth. This includes:
- Anagen
- Catagen
- Telogen
- Exogen
During our younger years, when you are first able to start growing in a beard it will mainly remain in the anagen phase. Because of this, when you’re in your teens you’ll tend to notice more hair sprouting up with regular shaving.
But this increase in hair growth is due to your body beginning to enter the prime growth phase because of the increased testosterone in the androgenic hair and in the body itself, so the increase in hair growth has nothing to do with the increase in shaving frequency.
Because of this boost in testosterone, it will take less time for your beard to grow in which can give you the impression that it’s growing in rapidly, but in reality, it’s simply due to the boost in testosterone.
Basically, when you shave, you’re cutting all the hair follicles to a single length, so when you look at your beard and it only has a few days of growth it may appear thicker.
During the exogen phase, the natural thinning and shedding of the beard will give it a more concentrated look.
What Can Have an Impact on Beard Growth?
There are a variety of hair growth supplements on the market that all claim to make your hair grow in thicker and faster, however, did you know that your diet can have the biggest impact on beard growth?
Hair follicles are largely made out of keratin. Keratin is made out of protein. So, if you consume a lot of protein every day it can have a major impact on restoring luster by building and strengthening hair follicles. If you shave and notice that the hair has started to grow in faster it may be due to a recent change in your diet. This can include an increase in the consumption of foods such as nuts, fish, eggs, and meats.
However, exercise can also have it impact on hair growth since it increases blood flow.
In terms of other vitamins and nutrients that can boost hair growth, biotin is probably the most common. This is a b complex vitamin that has been found to have a major impact on hair growth. Recent studies have shown that people who are deficient in this vitamin suffered from complete hair loss. Because of this, biotin is currently one of the most common ingredients found in products designed to boost hair growth.
As I mentioned earlier, your diet can also have an impact on beard growth. Eggs are actually high in biotin. Just one egg can make up 27% of the daily value. Almonds also have a high biotin content, with 45% of your daily value in just half a cup.
Razor Style
Type of Razor you use can also affect beard growth. These days, you’ll find a wide range of razor options out there, from the best electric razors for head shaving, such as the Panasonic Arc5, to old-fashioned straight razors. Of course, the type of razor you use can have a major impact on the overall growth of your beard.
However, whether or not you need to shave daily will ultimately depend on how low the hair is cut beneath the skin. If you’re using a standard cartridge razor it can help to cut facial hair efficiently, however, it also tends to pull on the hair then cut it using a 3 to 4 blade design. Compared to a single blade razor, you’re actually getting a much closer smoother shave, which means you won’t have to shave quite as often as you would if you only used a single blade razor.
When you use an electric razor, many models feature a blade design that can’t compete with the closeness a cartridge razor offers.
So, if you want to get a closer shave using an electric razor then you’ll need to use it wet. This should be done with a foil head model since rotary heads tend to employ a circular motion that won’t offer the same type of close shave that the oscillating foil head razors offer.
Some men will go the traditional route using the classic double-edged safety razor. This type of razor can cut the facial hair down with a single pass. However, many men will need to make two to three passes in order to get the desired level of smoothness. This can lead to general irritation, and ingrown hairs, which can slow down hair growth.
Hair Growth Rate
Exercise regularly sleep well, and follow a well-balanced diet and you should have no trouble growing around one centimeter of beard length in a month. So, you can anticipate growing in just under 5 inches of hair a year.
Beard Maintenance
There are many different types of beards, textures, and hair types. Because of this, the same beard care products won’t work the same for everyone. But, if you’re serious about growing out your beard, then you need to know how to maintain it. Doing so will promote hair growth since a dried-out tangled beard will not grow as fast and as a soft, well-conditioned beard. In fact, dryness of the hair follicles and skin is one of the main reasons why some men experience stunted beard growth.
Additionally, not using beard care products can make it difficult for you to stick to growing out your beard since the first growing phase is very itchy and uncomfortable. However, if you use a type of beard conditioner such as an oil or cream, you’ll find that your skin is soft, well-hydrated, and not irritated. Healthy skin promotes faster beard growth.
Most types of beard balms and oils contain conditioning agents like butters and carrier oils. The carrier oil is a natural way to moisturize the skin and keep it nourished and hydrated. It also works to hydrate the beard itself so you won’t have to deal with constant itching as your beard grows in. Balms usually include beeswax and are considered more intensive, working to protect the skin.
Balms tend to be a better option for people who live in environments that are extremely cold and/or dry.
Aside from using a product that can keep your beard hydrated, keeping it clean is also important. A dedicated beard shampoo does a great job of keeping your beard looking healthy between showers. These shampoos are designed to complement the skin’s sebum oil which is produced via the sebaceous glands.
Final Thoughts
Does shaving increase beard growth? Unfortunately, it doesn’t. However, following a healthy diet that’s high in biotin and protein can. Regular maintenance and cleaning are more about hydrating the beard and improving the growth rate than it is about keeping it looking great, which is just a nice bonus. When your beard is hydrated and your skin is moisturized, this results in healthier hair follicles.
Healthier hair follicles equals faster hair growth. If your beard is dry and brittle, and your skin is irritated, then you can expect your beard to take much longer to grow than average. With the right razor, beard care products, supplements, and a diet that’s high in protein, you can easily boost your beard growth rate in a matter of weeks.
