Have you been tempted to shave your head in the hope your hair will grow back thicker and stronger? In this article, we look at the effects and the pros and cons.
Shaving hair does not make your hair grow back thicker or stronger, nor does it prevent hair loss. However, a close haircut or shaved hair can create the illusion of thicker hair.
Is shaving hair good for hair growth?
There is no evidence that shaving promotes hair growth and prevents hair loss. Often men with male pattern baldness shave their heads and sport a new bald look that good great.
Unfortunately, when their hair grows back, they have the same quality and quantity of hair as they did before shaving.
However, there could be some benefits, and it’s these. Shaving your hair off allows you to rid yourself of any debris and residue leftover by shampoos and conditioners.
If you have dandruff, you can clear up the ailment quickly if you shave your hair.
If you have any scalp issues like inflammation, then having a clean sweep of the area that needs treating will help enormously with the treatment.
If you want to give your hair regrowth a boost, you can massage your scalp daily with something like Minoxidil or Rogaine to stimulate hair growth.
Keeping your hair short is an excellent way of making the illusion you have better hair than you do.
Short hair stands up straight without a need for a parting, and this can give the illusion you have thick, strong hair. Having your hair shaved or cut short can appear to change the texture.
When your hair grows, it will resume its original appearance, and you will need to decide what your plan of action is.
The cool thing about short hair is that it never really goes out of fashion.
Will thinning hair grow back after shaving my head?
Thinning hair will regrow after you shave your head. As long as the hair follicles are active, your hair will regrow regardless of whether your hair is thinning.
It is essential to keep your hair follicles in good condition; they need an excellent oxygen-rich blood supply full of nutrients.
Massaging your scalp will help promote blood flow to your scalp, and if your hair is thinning, you may decide to use something like Minoxidil to promote hair growth.
However, if you have the gene that causes baldness, your thinning hair will inevitably fall out.
Your hair is falling out and becoming thin due to a byproduct of the hormone testosterone called DHT.
DHT kills your hair follicles in predictable areas of your scalp. This is known as male pattern baldness.
Once your hair follicles have stopped growing, it’s pretty tricky, if not impossible, to kick start the process all over again.
Unfortunately, shaving your hair for thicker hair growth is a myth and does not work. When your hair regrows after shaving or a close haircut, your hair is stiffer because it’s short.
Short hair gives a false impression that you have strong hair, but it will revert to its natural texture when your hair grows.
How can I stop my hair from falling out and balding?
Surprisingly, you do control how fast you lose your hair, and by following the following suggestions, you will improve your chances of keeping your hair.
Quit smoking
Smoking is bad for your health, but smoking impacts your hair growth. Quitting smoking will allow a healthier blood supply to flow to your hair follicles.
Hair follicles need oxygen-rich blood and nutrients. Smoking depletes both and may cause the blood capillaries to become small and not supply sufficient blood to the follicles.
Diet
The importance of a healthy diet cannot be overstated if you want to retain your hair. Your diet needs to be full of vitamins and nutrients balanced with protein to promote healthy hair growth.
Cut back on sugar and carbs. Sugars and glucose in excess are detrimental to hair growth and your overall health.
Use quality supplements when needed to boost hair growth.
Medication
Be aware that certain medications cause you to lose your hair. We all associate chemo with hair loss, but that’s not the whole picture.
Medications such as ACE inhibitors to control high blood pressure are notorious for causing hair loss.
If you are experiencing thinning hair and suspect your medication could be a contributing factor, speak to your doctor.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
This is the tricky aspect of hair loss. DHT is the reason for male pattern baldness. It is a byproduct of testosterone.
It is possible to combat DHT and prevent hair loss, but it means you will need to take a drug for the rest of your life.
DHT can be blocked by taking Finasteride. Finasteride blocks DHT at the AR ( androgen receptor). It sounds perfect, and many men, including celebrities, take Finasteride with great success.
However, once you stop taking Finasteride or a similar drug, you will start to lose your hair again.
Alternatives
You can apply several topical applications to your scalp to increase hair growth; some come as shampoos and conditioners and others mouse-like products.
Minoxidil is a topical treatment recommended by hair transplant surgeons, which gives the product some credibility.
Minoxidil is said to be very effective at promoting new hair growth over some time.
However, there are more options than Minoxidil, and it’s worth checking these options to prevent hair loss.
The bottom line
Sadly the myth about shaving your hair promoting strong, robust hair growth has been around for decades, and it is a myth.
Short hair gives the illusion of being strong because of its stubble texture, but when the hair grows longer, you will be back to square one and looking for another solution to prevent your hair from falling.
