We've all heard that shaving hair will result in it growing back coarser, thicker, darker and faster. Truth or urban myth?

As much as many people insist that shaving hair will result in coarser hair, there's no evidence to support this. Hair that grows back after shaving often feels prickly. That's because short hair feels less soft than longer hair. Hair that has just been shaved also has a blunt tip, which makes it feel coarser or thicker even though it's exactly the same diameter that it was pre-shaving.

If you shave your legs regularly, the hair may feel hard and spiky. That's generally because once you start shaving your legs, you'll continue shaving so it will always be short and not long enough to naturally soften. The same applies if you are a man and begin to shave your face. Regular shaving will result in new growth that we refer to as stubble. Ditch the blade however, and grow a beard or mustache, and hair will feel smoother and softer.

What about darkening? Shaving won't darken your hair, but age can. Hair that grows in after shaving may actually be darker, but this is caused by aging and not by shaving. And, since sun exposure can lighten hair, new growth will seem darker than hair that was there previously. However, this is because it hasn't been exposed to the sun's lightening effects and not because it has grown in darker.

Any other beauty myths that need debunking out there?

Sharmani Pillay is a Registered Pharmacist who specializes in anti aging skin care and women's wellness. She owns and operates an online skin care store at [Link Removed]
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