You may also want to take a look at our complete round up review of hair removal creams
We recently came across an article by the Daily Mail about a new hair removal product that was released in 2013.
Having read the article, anyone who didn't have a base level understanding of hair removal and how it works may have been fooled into thinking that this new product is a worthy replacement for electrolysis or laser hair removal.
Of course, it's not a replacement - far from it. And the article is nothing more than sensational journalism that could even be mistaken for an advert.
So what's the real deal with Inhibitif - is it any good? Does it have any use in the hair removal world?
What is Inhibitif?
Inhibitif is an over the counter topical product that claims to prolong the period between hair removal sessions.
Here are a few important things to know about this product:-
- You apply the product topically directly onto the area that you want to treat
- You must apply the lotion twice per day
- For best results it should be used in combination with waxing or shaving
- The lotion does not remove hair, it simply prolongs the regrowth period so you can shave / wax etc. less often
- It apparently works on all hair types and densities for both men and women
Is It Backed Up By Science?
According to the Daily Mail, the product has undergone scientific testing with the following results:-
"During products trials, 93 per cent of users reported less hair on their body than before, and 80 per cent noticed it had become finer after using the product for eight weeks."
Notice that the results of the scientific study aren't very specific. There is also no mention of how many people were included in the study and whether it was a double blind controlled trial or not.
Furthermore, we tried to access the scientific study but weren't able to. The manufacturer doesn't have the study listed on their site and PubMed has no reference to Inhibitif included in their search results. We've sent an email to the manufacturer, but so far haven't had a response.
With that said, One of the ingredients in the "Advanced Hair-Free" serum is called lauryl isoquinolinium bromide and has been shown to have fairly impressive results in the context of hair removal.
Note that this ingredient isn't included in all the Inhibitif products. Also note that the safety profile of this substance isn't particularly well researched and documented as described here.
Results on the Social Web
There are a number of trusted hair removal reviewers on YouTube that have taken the time to go through the motions and report their findings.
Lee found that the product gave no results whatsoever despite using the product for 2 1/2 months:-
However, we have a number of female YouTube product reviewers that have reported positive results from using the product. Lili Ponce, below reports that after week 7 she can really notice the difference in her arm hair:-
Chinthia, also reports positive results after using the product for five weeks:-
So, What's the Verdict?
Does this product increase the time for hair regrowth? Possibly, but as far as we can tell from our research, it's not proven and the jury is still out on how effective the product is and whether it's effective for everyone.
Can this product remove hair permanently? No the manufacturer explicitly states that this product does not remove hair but is solely an inhibitor designed to lengthen the time taken for hair regrowth.
Is the product safe? There are concerns about the long term effect of using one of the substances contained in the product as described by LabMuffin below:-
"I’m not sure I’d be comfortable rubbing lauryl isoquinolinium bromide into large areas of my skin twice a day without seeing further safety studies"
Labmuffin.com
Conclusion
If you find that the chore of waxing or shaving is too much for you then you may wish to look into ways to minimise the frequency of your sessions. If you fall into this category, then I'd recommend looking at either home or professional laser hair removal.
However, if this solution doesn't work for you (whatever your reason may be) then Inhibitif may be something that you'll want to look into.
To be clear, we're not giving this product a recommendation and we're highly sceptical about it (lack of access to scientific data, manufactured by a new company that's not well known, dubious reviews on the social web), however it may be something that you want to try and experiment with as a last resort.
You may also want to take a look at our complete round up review of hair removal creams
- Paul
- April 14, 2015
- Depilatory
Paul
I'm a computer science graduate, have a passion for self development and created this site as a side project due to the lack of complete, understandable, helpful and truthful information about hair removal available online.
