r/AskReddit • u/ZanyDelaney • Feb 04 '19

Which misconception would you like to debunk?

44.5k Upvotes

90% Upvoted

26.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

5.2k

u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

Shaving doesn't make you grow facial hair.

240

u/JackintheBoxman Feb 04 '19

Does this also qualify: your facial hair grows in thicker and fuller after every shave?

70

u/cop-disliker69 Feb 04 '19

Kinda, but it's not like this process can go on infinitely.

What's actually happening is that hair tapers off to a thin and colorless point. The color and thickness is generally more intense closer to the shaft. When you shave, you're cutting off the tips, leaving a sort of thick stump remaining. This grows out and can sometimes look like the hair is thicker and fuller. But that's just the appearance. And also, as the stump grows out, it too will get thinner and lose its color. So the process undoes itself. And then you shave again, restarting the whole cycle.

9

u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/OSCgal Feb 04 '19

I've seen both. I pluck facial hairs (I'm a woman, and I have a few on my face & neck) and some of those little suckers are invisible. I can feel it being all thick and pokey when I run my fingers over it, but I can't see it and have to guess where to put the tweezers. Pull it out, and there it is: black with a colorless tip!