Home Remedies for Temporary Hair Removal

- Turmeric Paste
- Mix turmeric powder with milk or rose water into a paste.
- Apply on areas with fine hair, let it dry, and scrub gently while washing.
- Works best for thin, light hair (over time may slow regrowth).
- Gram Flour & Turmeric Pack
- Mix gram flour (besan) + turmeric + water or yogurt.
- Apply, let it dry, rub off in circular motions.
- Traditional remedy for facial/body hair in India.
- Sugar Wax (Homemade Wax)
- Heat sugar, lemon juice, and a little water until it becomes a sticky syrup.
- Use like wax to pull out hair from the roots.
- Papaya Paste
- Raw papaya contains the papain enzyme, which weakens hair follicles.
- Crush raw papaya and apply it as a mask 1–2 times a week.
For Slowing Regrowth
- Thanaka Powder + Safflower Oil (traditional Burmese remedy)
Applied regularly, believed to weaken hair roots. - Spearmint Tea (for women with hormonal hair growth) – may help reduce excessive hair if related to androgens.
What has some scientific support
- Turmeric & Papaya
- Turmeric contains curcumin, which in lab studies shows ability to affect hair follicle activity, but human trials for hair removal are scarce.
- Papaya contains papain enzyme that can break down keratin. It may weaken hair shafts over time, but controlled clinical studies are lacking.
- Sugar waxing (sugaring)
- This is proven — it physically pulls hair out from the root, just like salon waxing. Effect is immediate but temporary (3–4 weeks).
- Spearmint tea (for women with hirsutism/PCOS)
- Clinical trials show spearmint tea can reduce androgen (male hormone) levels in women, which may reduce new hair growth over time
So the proof is strongest for sugaring (immediate removal) and spearmint tea (hormonal hair reduction in women).
Turmeric, papaya, and other packs are more traditional remedies that may help with very fine hair but are not scientifically proven permanent solutions.
References you can check
- Akdogan et al., 2007 (Phytotherapy Research): Spearmint tea lowered testosterone in women with hirsutism.
- Kaur et al., 2010 (Indian Journal of Dermatology): Turmeric studied for various skin benefits; hair growth inhibition mentioned but not strongly proven.
- Papain enzyme research: Shown to degrade keratin in lab settings (keratin = protein in hair).