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An earlier Skeptics Stack Exchange question asks: If you shave or wax, will the hair grow back stronger or thicker?

However, I am interesting in a more specific claim: that shaving the head of an infant will lead to thicker and stronger hair later. For example, this is discussed at babycenter.com.

Does shaving of hairs of an infant really promote hair growth and better quality new hair?

The BMJ web-site reports an answer for adults, but I have been unable to follow the references to see if they are applicable to infants.

Many of the comments give reasons that the hair is dead and, hence, it does not matter whether you cut it or not, but I see there are many confounding variables e.g. the weight of hair may have some effect on the follicle. The weight reduction is more prominent in infants. Also, the pulling action affects the delicate hair follicle of infants.

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  • I think this is a good question but you will fare better here if you demonstrate where the claim is being made by finding an example of where someone makes the claim and linking to it.
    – matt_black
    May 10, 2014 at 10:23
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    Although not providing references is a "Taboo" here on skeptics, some claims are widespread enough to not require a reference, IMHO. Such as this one. Skeptics is about checking claims people believe in, people DO believe that cutting hair makes it thicker.
    – Hello World
    May 10, 2014 at 10:31
  • One possible explanation of "Ever since cutting it, he's always had a beautiful head..." is the fact that the hair will look better after being trimmed. See my answer.
    – Hello World
    May 10, 2014 at 10:53
  • Putting the question on hold while we decide if it is a duplicate.
    – Oddthinking ♦
    May 10, 2014 at 12:17
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    @Articuno: Ali seems to be speculating that there may be some, as yet identified, factor that makes the general case unable to be applied to this specific case, and therefore the general case should be treated with suspicion. Hence my conclusion that it would require an (IMO unlikely) specific study.
    – Oddthinking ♦
    May 11, 2014 at 7:48

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