I've recently encountered the idea that plucking an area of hair (say, with tweezers) causes the hair to grow back thicker/denser/stiffer etc. yet I remain skeptical. This concept is rampant with anecdotal evidence, mainly amongst those trying to reduce the appearance of hair (say, on a woman's legs or face). But we all know what any good skeptic thinks of anecdotal evidence. Here are my questions:
- Is there any hard science to suggest that plucking, waxing, or otherwise extracting entire hairs (epilation) impacts the appearance of regrowth in that location?
- And if so, in what way and by what mechanism?
Note that this is in contrast to the question on shaving asked here.