A groundbreaking discovery could soon make traditional methods of hair removal, like shaving and waxing, obsolete. Researchers have found that applying a common food additive to hair follicles can activate “taste receptors,” potentially preventing hair growth.
While taste receptors are typically associated with taste buds in the mouth, they are also found in other parts of the body, including the skin. In a recent study, scientists identified a bitter taste receptor, TAS2R4, in human scalp follicles, the tiny structures responsible for hair production. When these receptors are activated by a natural sweetener similar to stevia, hair growth is suppressed. This is because the activation reduces cell division in hair follicles and triggers the production of a protein that halts hair growth.
Professor Ralf Paus, lead author from the University of Miami, noted that taste receptors, despite their historical association with taste buds, are found in unexpected areas of the body. He added, “These findings show that specific taste receptors in human hair follicles can be activated to control hair growth. The fact that a sweetener can stimulate bitter taste receptors to stop hair growth makes us wonder if we are nearing the end of unwanted hair.”
Tests conducted on donated human scalp skin demonstrated that the sweetener, rebaudioside A, effectively impacted hair follicles from both males and females. This discovery suggests that stimulating taste receptors in hair follicles could eventually lead to a new type of hair removal treatment.
Professor John McGrath, Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Dermatology, emphasized the potential of this research, stating, “While we cannot yet confirm that activating these taste receptors will reduce hair growth in humans, this study presents a promising new avenue for developing hair removal products. The theory is that activating the receptors could alter the hair growth cycle, promoting ‘apoptosis,’ the process that causes hair follicles to die and stop hair growth.”
Currently, the NHS offers limited options for people with excessive hair, and private hair removal treatments can be expensive and vary in effectiveness. This discovery could offer a more accessible, affordable, and effective solution in the future.
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