Aids medicine prevents facial hair

A topically applied gel made from a drug to treat people with Aids, has been shown to have potential for use as a hair removal treatment.

Doctors have discovered that the gel, made from a drug called cidofovir, causes a loss of facial hair in male patients with Aids.

Trials conducted by the University of Philadelphia, involved 16 men given between 1% and 3% concentrations of cidofovir, which showed the potential to prevent hair growth but not cause complete hair loss.

The research revealed that the hair loss was not as powerful in the healthy study subjects as in Aids patients, who are exposed to a much higher dose of the drug. however, the findings could impact the hair removal market as further development could see it being used in skincare products to inhibit hair growth for both men and women.