You ladies all know this very well: you shave your legs after taking a shower (and you do this VERY thoroughly!) so that you come out of the bathroom with silky smooth legs. And right the next day or the day after you can already feel that annoying and scratching stubble-like hair back on your legs again! And this keeps on happening again and again, after each shave!
Moreover, some of you might even notice that your leg hair kind of grows faster in winter or when you are cold (for example, if your house is not heated well enough and it’s a bit chilly indoors).
Of course, everyone who faced this hair-growing-faster-than-needed disaster even once asked the same question: why is my hair growing so fast? And what is even more important, does hair grow faster in the winter?
So today we decided to unfold this mystery for you and finally figure out whether temperature, both low and high, can somehow affect the speed of our leg hair growth.
Does Hair Grow Faster In the Cold On Legs?
To state it short and clear, the statement that says our leg hair grows faster when it is cold is not quite true. Of course, some of you may object to our words by telling how many times they noticed their leg hair grew longer the next day after they shaved their legs. And it was during the winter time. However, let us explain why cold does not boost your leg hair growth.
See, the normal speed of hair growth, no matter what part of our bodies it grows on, is approximately about a half-inch per month for everybody. And there is no clear evidence that shows temperature can somehow influence the speed of human hair growing on our bodies. However, temperature can affect our hair state of health, as well as its appearance.
All right, you may say, but why does my leg hair appear on the skin so quickly after I shave it, especially if it is winter or if it is pretty cold in a room? Well, there is quite an easy explanation to that, in fact!
Our leg hair, just like all the other hair we have, grows from pores. And as all of you surely know, our skin pores tend to open and close when being affected by cold or heat. So when we shave our leg hair, there is still hair left right under the skin. And if we then go out into a cold room or outdoors, our pores get tighter thus trapping these hairs! This way, hair can’t “hide” back and remains visible and tangible. This is what we take for the too-fast-growing hair!
How Long Does It Take For Leg Hair to Grow Back?
All right, but is there any average period of time that our leg hair needs for growing back after we shave it? Well, in fact, there is. Our hair has a growing cycle that it follows no matter what all year round, year after year.
Normally, the hair on our bodies has a shorter cycle in comparison to the hair on our heads. To see the difference, compare the following data:
- Our hair on arms and legs has a cycle that is equal to thirty to forty-five days.
- The hair on our heads has a cycle that is equal to two to six years!
This is why our body hair always grows faster in comparison to our manes. And of course, we must not forget about such things as hormones, for example, since their concentration influences the speed of hair growth.
For example, those who have a high concentration of estrogen and/or progesterone, will grow their hair back faster in comparison to those of us who lack one or both of these hormones.
Taking all of these factors into consideration, as well as any other individual specifics of each person’s body, we can say that on average, your leg hair will grow back completely in about six months!
Can Heat Make Our Leg Hair Grow Faster?
Since cold does not boost our hair growth, maybe high temperature is able to do that? Well, in fact, it can! The research that was taken showed that human leg hair does tend to grow faster during the summer months when it is hot outside.
But why is that? What makes our hair react to high temperatures like this? See, the sun and warmth boost the supply of nutrients that are needed for keratin production, and as you probably know, keratin is the protein that is essential for our hair growth. AS a result, the production of this protein is increased which is why your locks grow faster!
But do please note that it is not because of summer that your hair will speed up its growth! The reason is heat, so if in the middle of the winter you fly somewhere where it is hot, your hair will start growing like crazy during your vacation since they will react to heat this way.
This is also the reason why it is way better to experiment with your haircut during the summer months, since it will be easier to fix it in case you are not satisfied with the result. Simply because in summer your locks will grow faster!
Factors That Influence Our Leg Hair Growth
Except for the heat and the level of hormones in your body, there are a few more important factors that may influence the speed of your leg hair growth greatly. If you know them, it will be easier for you to understand why you have to shave your legs more often than others (or, on the contrary, more seldom).
- Genetics
- Sex
- Age
- Nutrition
And now let’s see how exactly each of these factors affect your hair growth. As for genetics, your genes will always dictate how fast your hair will grow. So if you are genetically predisposed to fast growing hair, no medical products or procedures will help you to slow down this process. Well, except for the total hair removal, perhaps.
Then, men and women’s hair grows at different speeds, did you know that?! Male hair normally grows faster than female hair.
Your age also matters. If you are between fifteen and thirty years old, be ready that your hair will be growing faster than that of an older person. Finally, your diet also plays a great part. Good nutrition is important for having strong and healthy hair that grows normally.
How to Stop Leg Hair Growth?
Have you ever asked yourself how to make leg hair grow slower? We are sure you have! Especially if you are a “lucky” owner of fast-growing hair. Of course, the very first solution that comes to mind is shaving more frequently, but like this, you can make your skin become more irritated even when using the best razors!
Fortunately, we can suggest a few alternative remedies that can slow down the hair growth and contribute to the smooth and gorgeous legs!
- Change your diet. Add more soy products since soy balances your hormones and keeps your hair growth speed under control.
- Shave right using the upward motion, and apply shaving gel or foam, but never soap since it dries and irritates your skin!
- Try out natural wax. Yep, that hurts, but the results will satisfy you.
- Finally, you can always opt for laser hair removal and get rid of that problem once and for all!
And since now you know what makes your leg hair grow faster, and you are aware of how to cope with this issue, it’s up to you what method to choose to get one step closer to the legs of your dream!
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