GB2326335A

GB2326335A - Composition for the prevention of hair re-growth

Info

Publication number: GB2326335A
Application number: GB9713008A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sultan Daham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-06-19
Filing date: 1997-06-19
Publication date: 1998-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2017-06-19
Also published as: GB9713008D0; GB2326335B

Abstract

A composition and method for the prevention of hair re-growth following non-chemical depilation comprises an iron salt, preferably iron sulphate, and preferably a copper salt, preferably copper sulphate. The salts are both used at concentrations in the range of 0.0001-209/100 ml. The composition may be formulated as a lotion, cream, gel, or the like containing conventional additives which enable it to kept at the site of application for several hours. Prior to application of the composition, the depilation process must involve plucking hairs from their roots. It is intended that the prevention of hair re-growth is permanent.

Description

PERMANENT PREVENTION OF UNDESIRED HAIR RE-GROWTH PREPARATION AND METHOD The present invention relates to the permanent prevention of undesired hair re-growth and, in particular to a PREPARATION and a METHOD (as defined below) for the PERMANENT PREVENTION of undesired hair re-growth on the face or body.

THE PREPARATION: A preparation comprising EITHER: (1) a combination of ONLY the two active ingredients as identified hereinunder in a single composition in the stated portions: Ferrous (as salt) 0.000019 to 20g/100ml, and Copper (as salt) 0.000019 to 1Og/100ml and further comprising excipient to a total volume of 100ml, OR (2) ONLY the active ingredient identified below in a single composition in the stated proportions: Ferrous (as salt) 0.000019 to 20g/100ml and further comprising excipient to a total volume of 100ml.

In an especially preferred form, the PERMANENT PREVENTION of undesired hair re-growth preparation has the active constituents combined together in a single composition in the following proportions: ferrous sulphate 0.000019 to 10.09/100ml, and copper sulphate 0.000019 to 10.0g/100ml and further comprises excipient to a total volume of 1 OOml. The word "ONLY" as used above means that no other substance is needed in the preparation to give the effect of the permanent prevention of undesired hair re-growth.

THE METHOD: The preparation is to be applied to a part of the body or face from which the undesired hair is plucked from its roots using ONLY any of the hair removal by plucking methods/products that causes plucking up the hair from its roots, i.e. waxing, sugaring, tweezers, machines that pluck up the undesired hair from its roots... etc. AND NOT by using any of the hair removal by cutting methods (products that cause cutting the upper part of the hair and leaving the lower part of it under the skin i.e. thioglycollate, thioglycollatecontaining, thioglycollate-like shaver... etc). The word "ONLY" here means that this method is the only method that gets the preparation an access to the dermal papilla cells to cause permanent prevention of undesired hair re-growth.

Nowadays, it is very common to remove unwanted hair from the body or face. The most widely used methods of undesired hair removal can be divided into two categories: In the first of these, the upper part of the hair is removed either chemically or mechanically and the lower part remains intact beneath the skin. Examples of this first category include the use of depilatory preparations based on thioglycollate, analogues thereof or similar-acting compounds, and shaving. Hair removed by this method re-grows within a few days. The second category of undesired hair removal is characterised in that the hair is plucked from its roots. This can be achieved by waxing, sugaring, plucking individual hairs with tweezers, and, more recently, by the use of machines which grasp a plurality of hairs and pluck them out. Hair removed using these methods re-grows within a few weeks.

All of the above methods therefore suffer from the drawback that hair removal is only temporary. After a while, it grows back again and may become coarser than prior to removal. Also, the growing hair may cause a feeling of discomfort to the individual and may become snagged on clothing.

The permanent hair removal technique which enjoys widespread use is electrolysis, but this method has the disadvantage that it is very timeconsuming to carry out. For best results, electrolysis should normally be carried out by a person trained in the use of specialist electrolysis equipment.

As a result, this is a very expensive technique and may account for the relative popularity of the non-permanent methods listed above.

European Patent Application No. 0 532 219 is concerned with many different compositions suitable for topical application to mammalian skin for affecting hair growth in various ways. This document acknowledges that an effective amount of the composition and frequency of the application to the skin varies from person to person. However, it is suggested that a daily topical application of 0.0001 g to 1 g of glutamine metabolism inhibitor will, in most cases, maintain the skin in a hairless condition. In other words, this document teaches prophylactic treatment and does not provide a permanent solution to the user. Hitherto, the chemical treatments have been ineffective in permanently preventing hair re-growth except UK Patent No. GB 2 295 771 B.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide means for permanently preventing re-growth of unwanted hair on the face and body which is suitable for use by non-skilled persons in their own homes with comparative safety.

The invention recognises, for the first time, that the effect of iron by itself and the combination of iron (as salt) and copper (as salt) in a single preparation is effective permanently to prevent hair re-growth, when applied to an area of the skin from which the hair has previously been plucked from its roots using any of the removal by plucking methods/products that causes plucking up the hair from its roots, i.e. waxing, sugaring, tweezers, machines that pluck up the undesired hair from its roots... etc., AND NOT by using any of the hair removal by cutting methods (products that cause cutting the upper part of the hair and leaving the lower part of it under the skin i.e. thioglycollate, thioglycollate-containing, thioglycollate-like, shaver... etc).

Thus, according to the invention there is provided a permanent prevention preparation AND method of undesired hair re growth effective to prevent the re-growth of the undesired hair which is plucked from its roots using any suitable METHOD (as defined above) such as waxing, sugaring, plucking with tweezers or a mechanical device which grasps the hair and plucks it from the roots, said preparation comprising a combination of ONLY the two active ingredients identified below in a single preparation in the stated proportions: Iron (as salt) 0.00001g to 20g/100ml; Copper (as salt) 0.00001g to 100g/10Oml and further comprising excipient to a total volume of 100ml, OR Iron (as salt) 0.00001g to 20g/100ml and further comprising excipient to a total volume of 100ml.

In an especially preferred form, the PERMANENT PREVENTION of undesired hair re-growth preparation has the active constituents combined together in a single preparation in the following proportions: Ferrous sulphate 0.00001g to 10g/100ml Copper sulphate 0.00001g to 10g/100ml and further comprising excipient to a total volume of 100ml.

The results achieved using the above invention, namely the permanent prevention of undesired hair re-growth can be achieved if an iron salt is used on its own as the active ingredient. Thus is not the case with the copper constituent. That is to say, if the copper is used on its own without being combined together with the iron constituent in a single formulation, the desired aims of the invention, namely the permanent prevention of undesired hair regrowth, cannot be achieved.

This effect is best seen with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a graph showing the effect of the invention on the proportion of undesired hair re-growth prevention in non human mammals compared to a preparation having only one of the active constituents, and Figure 2 is a graph showing the effect of the invention on the proportion of undesired hair re-growth prevention in human volunteers compared to a preparation having only one of the active constituents.

Referring now to Figure 1, it can be seen that, in the tests on non-human mammals, hair re-growth was permanently prevented to a level of 90% for animals treated three times by the composition which contained both iron and copper constituents in accordance with the present invention, while the composition which contained the iron constituent on its own succeeded to give the effect of 20% permanent hair re-growth prevention. By contrast, animals which were treated with a preparation having only the copper constituent did not show any suppression of hair re-growth, even after three treatments.

A similar result was achieved for human volunteers, as illustrated in Figure 2. Here, the measured success rate was lower since hair re-growth was permanently prevented to a level of 84% for the volunteers after three successive treatments with ferrous and copper constituents in combination, while the percentage prevention for volunteers treated with the iron constituent on its own was 16%. No permanent prevention was achieved for volunteers treated with copper only.

For best results, the permanent prevention of undesired hair re-growth preparation is applied immediately to the part of the body from which undesired hair has been plucked from its roots using THE METHOD (as defined as above).

The preparation should be left in place for a number of hours and then removed by washing with soap and water. The effect of permanently preventing hair re-growth of undesired hair which has been plucked from its roots may be achieved after a single application of the permanent prevention of undesired hair re-growth preparation. If necessary, however, the process (removing the undesired hair and applying the preparation) can be repeated, typically three times or more, until the desired effect of permanent prevention of undesired hair re-growth is achieved. It is usually the case that application of the preparation for the first time after removing hair by plucking it from its roots (as described in THE METHOD) has a marked impact.

In view of the fact that the preparation is most effective if it is kept in place for a number of hours, the preparation (iron by itself or the two active ingredients combined together in a single formulation) may be applied in the form of an aqueous solution, a lotion, cream, ointment, gel or similar preparation.

As indicated above, the preparation may be formulated in any suitable vehicle which enables the active ingredient, or the two active ingredients combined together, to be dissolved or held in suspension to facilitate application to the skin after plucking the undesired hair from its roots using THE METHOD (as defined above). Any liquid or semi-liquid preparation which contains the two active ingredients combined together, or the single active constituent on its own, may also include suitable anti-microbial preservatives in keeping with normal pharmaceutical practice.

In addition to the above optional constituents, the formulation may further include a viscosity builder to thicken the product for improved consumer acceptance. Fragrances and/or colouring additives are further optional constituents which may be included to enhance customer acceptance.

The preparation may also comprise emollient/humectant constituents to improve skin feel, as well as stabilisers such as EDTA which are effective to reduce any preparation interaction with added essential oil fragrance.

Preferably, the preparation is formulated at a pH which enables the active ingredient or the combination of the two active ingredients to be stabilised. Typically, for a solution or suspension of the active ingredient or ingredients, the preparation is rendered mildly basic, for example having a pH which falls in the range 8-5 to 10-5.

The preparation is thought to exert its preventative effect by interaction with hair re-growth factors released by the hair dermal papilla cells (DPC).

These re-growth factors stimulate hair re-growth in normal, healthy hair. By plucking the undesired hair from its roots using THE METHOD (as defined above), an improved pathway is provided whereby the active ingredient, or the combination of the two active ingredients, in the preparation is enabled to reach the hair DPC and break the effect of the hair re-growth factors. Other undesired hair removal by cutting methods/products are not effective in this regard, since the surviving hair stem blocks the pathway for the active ingredient or the two combined together active ingredients and prevents it/them from reaching the hair DPC in an effective amount.

Claims

1. A PERMANENT PREVENTION of Undesired Hair Re-Growth Technique composed of a Preparation AND a Method, wherein the Preparation is effective permanently to prevent re-growth of undesired hair ONLY when applied on an area of the face and body from which the undesired hair has been plucked from its roots using any of hair removal by plucking methods/products that causes plucking the undesired hair from it roots, (i.e. waxing, sugaring, tweezers, machines that pluck out the undesired hair from its roots, ... etc), and NOT by using any hair removal by cutting methods/products that causes cutting the upper part of the hair and leaving the lower part of it under the skin, (i.e.

thioglycollate, thioglycollate-containing, thioglycollate-like, shaver, ... etc), the said preparation comprising EITHER (1) a combination of ONLY the two active ingredients identified below in a single formulation in the stated proportions: Iron (as salt) 0.000019 to 20.0g/100ml Copper (as salt) 0.000019 to 20.0g/100ml, and further comprising excipient to a total volume of 700ml OR (2) ONLY the active ingredient identified below in a single composition in the stated proportions: Iron (as salt) 0.000019 to 20g/100ml and further comprising excipient to a total volume of 100ml.

2. A PERMANENT PREVENTION of Undesired Hair Re-Growth Preparation and method as claimed in claim 1 comprising EITHER (1) a combination of ONLY the two active constituents identified below in the states proportions: Ferrous sulphate 0.0001 to 10.0g/100ml, and Copper sulphate 0.0001 to 10.0g/100ml, and further comprising excipient to a total volume of 100ml OR (2) ONLY Ferrous sulphate 0.0001 to 10.0g/100ml and further comprising excipient to a total volume of 100ml.

3. A PERMANENT PREVENTION of Undesired Hair Re-Growth Preparation and method as claimed in any preceding claim formulated as a solution, lotion, cream, ointment, gel or similar preparation which is capable of being kept in place at the site of application for a number of hours.

4. A PERMANENT PREVENTION of Undesired Hair Re-Growth Preparation and method as claimed in any preceding claims formulated in any suitable vehicle which enables the two active constituents combined together (or the iron constituent alone) to be dissolved to facilitate application to the skin.

5. A PERMANENT PREVENTION of Undesired Hair Re-Growth Preparation and method as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising additives from the group consisting of viscosity builders to thicken the product; emollient/humectant ingredients to enhance skin feel; stabilisers to reduce preparation interaction with other constituents; essential oil fragrance, and colouring additives.

6. A PERMANENT PREVENTION of Undesired Hair Re-Growth Preparation and method as claimed in any preceding claim formulated in any suitable pH which enables the two active ingredients (or the iron constituent alone) to be stabilised.