First off all, i wanna say that the message board looks great.
now, i have a question: i used kalo once on my chest and it seems that im getting the wished results- thiner and lighter hair. is it going to last for good or the follicle will be able to complete its cycle and eventually the hair will fall off? i really dont understand how this stuff works.

Thanks for the kind words, quaterman!

Kalo is one of the many products that no one understands how it works, because it hasn't been demonstrated in published clinical studies whether it works or not. The reduction in hair that many consumers report could be coming from the pre-treatment epilating they recommend, instead of from their cream.

Until the active ingredient in Kalo is tested under controlled clinical conditions, there's really no proof whether it works or not. Hair removal is a very complicated issue, and these people put their products on the market without doing the testing required to back their claims.

I would like any comment or info about "Hair No More". This is a 2 part use system where you first remove the hair then use either a gel or spray cooler/inhibitor. Body builders are using this products and it was recommended to club members who had course dark hair issues! The product has been used religiously by a male body builder but we have no information about female use of this product.

Hey Kelly--

I just posted some info on Hair No More under its own thread (click below):

Hair No More (WARNING!)

Oops. My answer wasn't very clear.

Epilating with a rotary epilator, or waxing, etc. has not been shown to have a permanent effect on hair growth.

What I meant to say was that regular epilation will mean you have less hair to deal after the first time you do it. That's because the first time, you'll have a lot of mature hair that isn't actively growing. Since only a third of your hair is growing at any given moment, the hair that grows back in will not be as much at first. If you let it grow back for six months or so, it would return to the original levels, but until then, it would take a while for all the hairs to get back into their growth cycles.

That's why many people mistakenly think they may be getting permanent hair reduction when they first start waxing or using a rotary epilator. It seems like there is less hair at first, and they jump to the conclusion that it's never coming back.

In fact, that's why unproven products like Kalo encourage users to epilate. They know many people will think Kalo is working, because they mistakenly think the epilation and/or the Kalo are removing hair for good.

Kalo and other over-the-counter "hair inhibitors" have no proof their active ingredient can reduce hair in controlled clinical studies. They say their active ingredient is an herbal concoction.

Kentucky Fried Chicken has seven secret herbs and spices... and there's just as much published about Kalo's results under controlled conditions for hair removal (i.e., nothing). So instead of Kalo, maybe people should just get a bucket of KFC!

So to summarize:

• rotary epilators: temporary
• topical hair inhibitors: temporary
• prescription Vaniqa: permanent for some (requires continuous use)

[ May 09, 2002, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: Andrea ]

This isn't an actual reply - i'm new and couldn't figure out how to post an entirely new message.
I have a queries regarding a new product on the market - Biore Skin Smoothing moisturizer.

I have a few stray hairs on my chin that i pluck and bleach, but i'm looking for a product that will minimize my need to use these methods.

If anyone has tried it, let me know.

Vaniqa's my next resort, but an over-the-counter product is more accessible to me, on my student's budget.

I started a new topic about that product, J.R.!

I've moved all "shave minimizing" lotions, like Curel, Biore, and Jergens to the Shaving/Trimming forum. Unlike topical preparations discussed in this forum, these products do not make claims that they affect the growth rate of hair. They merely claim they affect the appearance of visible hair, by softening it and making it easier to shave.

[ May 10, 2002, 11:57 AM: Message edited by: Andrea ]

Thanks, Andrea.

i have used kalo and i actually think it works...i realize that its not proven and may work different for everyone but i've been using it for a while and i have seen progress. to test i tweeze only a couple hairs manually and use it on them so i can keep a control on how its progressing. some hairs in the area have not come back at all and others have become much thinner. these are just what i've seen, others may not have had such good results. hope i helped somebody.