It helps slow down hair growth

Women or men, unwanted face and body hair is the bane of anyone and everyone who wants to look good and presentable. All those smart, sexy dresses and peek-a-boo swimsuits you love to sport can look horrible if there are ugly hair on your legs, arms, back and underarms. Ditto for facial hair – no matter how great the features or the makeup or how awesome the complexion, hair on chin, cheeks, forehead (not to mention, unruly eyebrows) can make you look a stone age savage.

So what’s the long term solution to this hairy-scary problem?

Let’s face it, hair removal after every few days is a painful, boring and time consuming chore for most of the women (and quite a few men too). We bet you must have often thought that a life without unwanted hair on body or face will be really good! Well, there is an easy way to bid long-ish goodbyes to regular waxing, shaving, threading, sugaring, depilatory creams et al. And no, it does not involve costly laser sessions. Actually it is pretty much an at-home DIY using a market-bought product.

Imagine having to shave just once a month or getting waxed once in three months! Want to know what this wonderful way is? It is using a hair retardant lotion right after hair removal.

Let us explain in detail.

First of all, what’s wrong with regular hair removal

Pretty much everything is wrong with regular hair removal. It is repetitive. It takes time, it costs money, and it leaves hair coming up again. Shaving causes nicks and cuts, and hair grows back double quick. Hair depilation creams are synthetic cocktails that have to be used repeatedly. Waxing is painful, leaves the skin red and blotchy. Ditto for sugaring and threading. In any case, waxing, threading and sugaring are best done by a trained beautician in a hygienic beauty parlour (think time and expense every few weeks!). Of course, there’s laser for near permanent hair removal but it costs a lot and you have to visit a trained skin specialist to get it done.

What’s a hair retardant and how does one use it

A hair retardant (some people also call it hair inhibitor too) is a lotion that feels just like your regular moisturizing lotion. When massaged over skin with its hair freshly removed, it gently penetrates into hair roots to weaken them. Massaged on skin twice daily, it goes on gradually weakening the hair roots and the new hair comes up slower, thinner, shorter, and sparser.

Remember, a hair retardant or inhibitor does not remove hair. It works to slow down regrowth of new hair.

What does a hair retardant do to reduce hair removal frequency

A good hair retardant or inhibitor slows down hair regrowth after hair removal by gradually weakening and ultimately destroying hair roots inside the skin. So the new hair comes up thinner, lesser, sparser, and slower. With regular and prescribed use over weeks and months, the gap between two hair removal sessions grows longer and longer. In many cases, it ultimately leads to complete absence of hair regrowth. The time taken for results differs from person to person. In some cases, it may be a few weeks. In some others, it may take a few months.

How to buy a good quality hair retardant

There are several brands of hair retardants available in the market. However just like shampoos, conditioners and skin care products, not all hair retardants are built equal.

Here are some thinks you should check when buying a hair retardant lotion:

1. Are the key active ingredients natural

You don’t want to slather on harmful chemicals. So check the label carefully for key actives. In WOW’s Hair Vanish range, the key actives are natural Papain Enzyme that’s derived from papayas, and Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract that’s extracted from narcissus flowers. Both are clinically proven to weaken hair roots without damaging the skin.

2. Does the ingredient list mention mineral oil and parabens

Mineral oil (also called liquid paraffin, petrolatum and paraffin oil) clogs your skin pores and leaves the skin suffocated. Parabens are even scarier. These actually cause hormonal imbalances. So make sure that your chosen hair retardant has no mineral oil or parabens in it.

3. Is it an ‘all for one’ formulation

While every hair retardant works by weakening the hair roots there are subtle differences in the skin they work on. For example, a hair retardant to be used on the bikini are or underarms needs to be more gentle than the one that works to reduce extreme stubble on a male face. For this very reason, WOW Hair Vanish comes in three variants – WOW Hair Vanish for Women, WOW Hair Vanish for Men, and WOW Hair Vanish Sensitive for delicate areas.

With a good quality hair retardant like the WOW Hair Vanish range, you can slow down your hair regrowth so much that initially, it will mean having sparser hair and removing hair less often, and then almost negligible regrowth.