Serious Question: Can Shaving Your Head Make Hair Grow Back Stronger?

If you're someone who dreams about thick, strong, shiny hair, you've likely tried it all—diet, products, serums, supplements, and even sticky avocado hair masks. But there's one thing you might not have tried: shaving your head. That's right, some say that the key to longer, healthier hair might be shaving it all off.

But wait, before you get out the sheers and electric shavers, we asked some experts whether there's any truth to this extreme tactic.

We reached out to trichologist, Penny James, from Penny James Trichology Center and hairstylists Nick Arrojo and Emily Heser to ask, “Will you get longer, healthier hair if you first shave it all off?”

Keep reading to hear what they had to say and learn the truth about what really happens to hair post-shave.

The Facts

To determine whether hair will grow back differently after shaving, we first have to understand how hair grows. It's actually pretty interesting stuff. You see, each hair on your head—and on your body, for that matter—is comprised of a shaft that extends above the skin's surface and a root that extends below it. At the root's base, a steady flow of blood generates the formation of new cells. These cells aggregate and harden, pushing upward and outward (i.e. grow) to form a strand of hair.

Still with us? Okay, now, when you shave your hair, you are only removing the hair shaft, not its root. “Whatever is done on the outside of the hair follicle as far as cutting or shaving does not affect new-hair growth,” says Heser. The belief that shaving your head will cause your hair to grow back stronger is just not true. “It’s an illusion."

Arrojo adds that regardless of how you cut hair, it typically grows at the same rate—even if it doesn't seem like it—which is usually a mere six inches per year (or a little more than one centimeter per month). No wonder there are so many hair hacks to speed up the growth process.

Certified trichologist Penny James adds, "If you shave your head, you are removing old, damaged hair. But the new hair growing will still be affected by Oxidative stress. For example, if you have a poor diet, are under stress, are taking medication, get too much sun, get UV exposure, smoke, or apply harsh chemicals to the scalp, these factors will all affect the new hair growth."

The Misconception

So if shaving your head doesn't actually affect hair growth, then where did this idea come from? Arrojo explains, “When people see a person with a shaved head and then two weeks later see them with a non-shaved head, the dramatic difference can lead people into thinking that the hair must be growing faster than it was previously.” Also, after a full shave, hair grows back simultaneously, thereby creating blunt ends. The effect is hair that feels thicker and stronger—even if it's not. Heser adds, “The shorter the hair is, the easier it is to see each millimeter of growth.”

Arrojo agrees: “Growing half an inch on a shaved head makes a huge difference; it is eye-catching and makes a genuine difference to one’s appearance.”

Also, if you’re starting from scratch and shaving all your hair off, the new hair that grows in will, of course, be healthier. But that isn’t because of the shaving. “The new hair that grows will be healthy because it’s brand-new," Heser says. "Cutting hair gives you the opportunity to be good to it and keep it healthy during the grow-out process.”

The Lesson

If there's anything to be learned by debunking this ill-founded theory it's that you should only shave off all your hair if you want that look. However, if healthier tresses are ultimately what you're after, the best solution doesn't have to be so extreme. Simply, keep up a hair routine with products that will treat and protect your hair from future damage. Check out Arrojo and Heser’s picks below.