One of the most annoying parts of any beauty regimen is removing unwanted hair. But the era of light waxing or razor shaving could be over thanks to a new discovery.
Experts have found that applying a common food additive to hair follicles can activate “taste receptors” and prevent hair growth in lab experiments. And it could one day lead to a new hair removal treatment for humans, they said.
Although taste receptors are usually associated with taste buds in the mouth, they are found throughout the body and perform various functions related to metabolism, immune system regulation, and reproduction.
However, it is not yet known what role the taste receptors found in the skin play. In this study, researchers found that human scalp hair follicles – the tiny factories that produce hair – have a bitter taste receptor called TAS2R4.
When this receptor is stimulated with a natural sweetener, like stevia, it sends signals to the follicles that suppress hair growth. It works by slowing down cell division in the hair and producing a protein that stops hair growth.
Lead author, Professor Ralf Paus, from the University of Miami, said: "Despite their name, and their historical association with taste buds, taste receptors appear in unexpected places. This study identifies specific taste receptors in human hair follicles, shows that they are active and that hair growth can be stimulated."
Experts point out that activating taste receptors in hair follicles with a natural sweetener to prevent unwanted hair growth is a combination they didn't expect, but could lead to the development of a new hair removal product.
In tests conducted on scalp skin donated by humans, the stevia-like sweetener, called rebaudioside A, was found to work in the hair follicles of both sexes.
Professor John McGrath, editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Dermatology, said: “Activating taste receptors in hair follicles with natural sweeteners to prevent unwanted hair growth is not a combination of words I expected to see before reading this study, and yet here we are.”
"We don't know for sure whether activating these receptors in hair follicles can reduce hair growth in humans - but it's the kind of research that could lead to a new hair removal product," he added, reports GazetaExpress.
Activation of the receptors affects how a hair goes through growth phases, promoting what is known as “apoptosis,” where hair follicles begin to die, stopping hair growth.
There are "limited treatments" for people with excessive hair on the public health system (NHS), and private care can be "expensive" with "variable success", the researchers added.
The results of this study were published in the British Journal of Dermatology. /Express newspaper/
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