Thicker Hair Growth

Cutting a child's hair — Photo: Bravissimos/Shutterstock

Q: My daughter sent me this e-mail about cutting hair: But I also know when you cut a kid's hair multiple times so drastically it grows back thick which is why I don't want you cutting it all the way.

I thought hair thickness is determined by follicles. Is she correct? Can cutting hair determine how "thick" it grows back?

A: You are correct, your daughter is misinformed. There is and never has been any indication that cutting the hair (or shaving areas) results in an increase in hair density. In some cases, certain areas can feel as though the hair is thicker because it is blunt on the ends as it grows back.

Many people erroneously assume that cutting the hair can cause dramatic changes in the growth patterns, density, or wave patterns of the hair because the hair makes changes in these areas gradually (in most cases) and when you cut the hair to a super-short length, the new growth comes in looking significantly different.

A child's hair will change in texture and density normally as he or she ages. It can also change in color and wave pattern as well. Dramatic haircuts can result in the appearance that they caused these changes, because the cut removes all the previous texture and wave, and makes changes in growth pattern and density more apparent.

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See also:

What is hair made of and how does it grow?

Will shaving make your hair grow back thicker and increase the number of hairs?

Will trimming the ends of a child's hair encourage growth?

Does short hair grow faster than long hair?