Unwanted Hair? Try Licorice!

Vdot wants to know…The Epilar System claims to be a topical product that, when used in a series of 8-12 treatments spaced 5-6 weeks apart, can inhibit hair regrowth. Looking at the ingredients, I think the jury is still out on whether Trypsin (it’s an enzyme, right?) is a hair growth inhibitor. Thoughts on the ingredient combo here, and is it junk or worth a try for those of us who have to keep up with our girl ‘staches weekly?

The Right Brain responds:

We have an answer for you Vdot, sort of. While we haven’t had a chance to research Trypsin as a hair growth inhibitor we did just come across an article describing the discovery that licorice extract can effectively inhibit hair growth.

Hair growth inhibitor

According to the Dermatology Times, a study conducted at University Hospital, J. W. Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany has shown that an active compound extracted from licorice (glycyrrhizic acid) stopping hair growth in rats. Do you girls realize what this means??? That’s right, the garbage dumps and sewers in large urban areas will soon be over run by bald rats! And then they’ll need some sort of Mouse Minoxidil to counteract their rodential smoothness. And, oh yeah, it might also mean that Vdot can stop shaving her “girl ‘stache.”

All kidding aside, this discovery could be a breakthrough in controlling unwanted hair. The researchers found that after only three days of treatment the rats showed some reduction in hair growth and after a week or two their skin was almost as smooth as a baby’s butt. Better still, there was no sign of skin irritation or other side effects that hair removal/growth inhibiting products can cause. The scientists theorize that licorice extract works by causing the hair shaft to detach from the follicular wall. Only time will tell if this discovery is better than the Epilar system. In the meantime, watch out for those hairless rats!

How do YOU deal with unwanted hair? Leave a comment and share your tricks and tips with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.