One of the most pervasive shaving myths of the beard-growing field is that using a razor every day would stimulate beard to grow back thicker, darker, and faster.
Ask almost anyone about how to get a beard fast, and you’ll get an answer like this:
“The more you shave the more it grows…”
Even though there’s some logic behind that, it’s still a myth, here’s why. ↓
Does Facial Hair Grow Faster if You Shave?
If the “shaving every day makes hair grow faster” myth would be true, most men would be able to grow full beards.
This is, however, not the case, as shaving does very little for your beard gains.
It may seem like that at first, as the freshly cut ends of the facial hair will feel denser, and shorter stubble always feels like it’s thicker than it really is when you let it grow longer.
But in reality, no matter how often you shave, the facial hair follicles will sprout new hair at the same rate.
More specifically, your beard follicles will pump out hair following the normal hair growth cycle, going from growth phase (anagen) to transition phase (catagen) to resting phase (telogen), before returning back to the growth phase.
Shaving doesn’t (unfortunately) change this cycle, or phase, or alter your beard stages in any way shape or form.
The only things that work to actually increase the hairs in the anagen phase and stimulate beard growth are minoxidil, micro-needling, proper micronutrient balance, and androgens.
In fact, shaving on a daily basis can lead to itchiness and beard rashes on the facial hair area, which can get inflamed and result in damage to the follicles. So I’d argue that it’s likely more harmful than helpful for boosting growth.
Conclusion
No. There’s no known mechanism as to how that would happen. Shaving against the grain, or just shaving, in general, will do nothing for beard growth.
The only thing that happens is that the ends of your beard hairs will have a rougher edge, now that you’ve cut them, but even this effect happens only on the first time you shave, and then never again.
No. It doesn’t stimulate circulation or do anything to activate any growth factors. Shaving to stimulate the growth appears to be an old wives tale to make young boys shave their faces.
