Unwanted body hair? Stunt it with soy milk
by Ken Winston Caine
Soy milk, applied daily to patches of unwanted body hair, stunts its growth, strips its pigment and reduces the diameter of the follicle and hair shaft, according to this fascinating patent application.
The effect is substantial and noticeable within five weeks, according to the mouse and human studies (with photos) presented in the application.
Interestingly, soy milk fortified with a small amount of a soy isoflavone solution, enhanced and speeded the effect.
The initial application was made in a freshly shaved area. Then after that, the area was treated once daily with the soy milk solution and microscopic measurements and photos were taken weekly.
The human test involved leg hair. Hair on one leg was treated daily. Hair on the treated leg was about 1/4 less thick in four weeks, held less pigment, was substantially shorter and and fell out sooner than the untreated hair in the same area on the opposite leg. In addition, the “resting phase” — the period between when a hair falls out and a new hair sprouts from the same follicle– took longer on the treated legs.
People in the study commented that the treated hair was much softer, besides being thinner.
It is believed that with continued, extended treatment, the diameter and follicles of hair in the treatment area would continue to shrink, the hair growth rate would continue to slow and the hair would lose more and more pigment until the follicle became so small that the hair ceased to grow at all.
Now….if I can just figure out how to spray and rub soy milk onto my back…
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September 11th, 2007 02:31
It cannot be pasteurized soy milk, pasteurization (super heating)destroys all the necessary natural proteins that are needed to make this work, it has to be fresh and raw.
Hair should be plucked or removed somehow, and this area is then doused with raw soymilk
Soybeans can be easily purchased, soaked in water, blended up, and applied.
September 11th, 2007 10:39
Good clarification, Vredeskind.
Wish I could report that I had great, noticeable results from this. I made my own soy milk, shaved a number of areas and applied it daily for about six weeks.
I got tired of slathering the milk on my body after showering before I could determine whether I was getting any significant results.
WISH I had applied to only one side of the body, so I could see clearly whether growth was slower on that side. But I did not.
It did seem to slow growth in one area of my body and not in another, but I’m not at all sure whether that was simply a case of wishful wanting and subjective observation.
If this truly does stunt hair growth — as the patent study seems to indicate — I suspect it will require much longer than a six week trial for long-lasting results.
Best,
kwc
September 12th, 2007 09:58
Soybeans contain both proteins for inhibiting growth and to stimulate growth.
In order to inhibit growth you should not shave, because it’ll stimulate the growth somehow!!
You should remove the hair complete, pluck or tweeze the hair so you’ll get a hole where the hair was.
The hole closes more and more from that moment on, you’ll have plus minus 3 days to apply the unpasteurized soy milk.
Don’t be gentle, the more you’ll use the better the chance that the protein gets through the hole and takes it’s effect to inhibit it’s growth.
It is really confusing, because it has both potentials to stimulate growth and to inhibit growth.
If only yoú knew how to use it the better the effect you get for what you want.
This should be known to help everyone, confusion should be cleared up.!!
Vredeskind, from the Netherlands
December 23rd, 2007 05:25
What about the product from Aveeno? it has a lotion with soy and it says it helps on the unwanted bodyhair? The trial was funded by Johnson and johnson and aveeno is owned by them.
So the lotion they have must include the correct proteins in sufficient amount ??
what do you guys think?
December 26th, 2007 10:59
What is the product name, James, and what stores do you see it in?
I’ll look at it.
November 9th, 2008 14:14
so does it work im confused
November 9th, 2008 14:28
The patent study suggests that it does. Slowly.
Ultimately I didn’t have the patience to find out.
As I vaguely recall, after about a month of slathering soy milk on myself after a shower, I got tired of the ritual and of smelling like soybeans all day.
November 9th, 2008 20:55
Was it the proteins or the phyto-estrogens which can counteract testosterone which can cause unwanted hair?
J
November 12th, 2008 09:51
Interesting, isn’t it, Judie?
What I recall is the mechanism by which it works (if it really does). It slowly inflames and shrinks the follicle, which causes an ever thinner hair to grow until finally no hair grows from the follicle.
That’s the same process that takes place in typical male pattern baldness hairloss. In typical balding hairloss, it is believed that dehydrotestosterone is a factor in causing the inflammation that leads to the tightening of the follicle. (Although probably much more is at play — the science of baldness is in its infancy.)
I don’t recall whether the studies identified what it is about soy in topical application that causes eventual hairloss. It might be an enzyme. I’ll have to dig into this again to see if researchers have definitively answered your question.
November 12th, 2008 10:18
Went back and re-read the patent study. The researchers postulate that the hair follicle reduction is caused by “serine protease inhibitors” in the soy formula. Those are inhibitors of enzymes that break down protein.
They don’t say HOW that causes the hair loss.
And, if you follow the link to the study in the post above and read deeply into it, you’ll find instructions for making a simple extract using only water and soybean flour.
Also, the study did not suggest that shaving was any less effective than waxing the areas to be treated. When studying humans, they shaved male faces before applying the solution daily, and they waxed legs that were tested.
The soy solution produced noticeable results within four weeks with both methods and in a doubleblind where no one knew which area was being treated with the real solution and which with the dummy solution.
I also noted upon re-reading the study, that the researchers solved the “bean odor” problem that I encountered by using only certain varieties of soybean.