What Is Minimizing Hair Lotion And How Do You Use It?

Finding the right hair removal technique for unwanted body hair can be a challenge, even though there are plenty of options to choose from. You can try shaving, waxing, plucking, and even laser hair removal to reduce how much body hair you have.

Each option has its perks, but not all options are available for everyone, as cost factors and effectiveness vary from person to person. For example, laser hair removal is lauded as an effective treatment for removing thick body hair, but in reality, not everyone can afford its high cost. According to the  American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of laser hair removal is $389, and that's before all the added expenses that come with each session.

If you're on the hunt for a solution to thick body hair but don't want to shell out hundreds of dollars or have to shave every other day, you're not alone. One solution you might consider is minimizing hair lotion, a cream meant to both reduce hair growth and make hair grow back finer.

Thick, coarse body hair can be, to put it lightly, a nuisance. It isn't anything to be ashamed of; just look at celebrities who take pride in their body hair if you need inspiration to love your own. But thick body hair isn't everyone's cup of tea, and it's okay to look for solutions that make you happy. Per Healthline, getting rid of thick body hair is tricky as traditional hair removal methods, such as shaving and waxing, don't seem as effective on thick hair. For those who want less body hair or at least less visible body hair, a minimizing hair lotion, like the Tree Hut Hair Minimizing Body Butter, might be just what you need.

It might sound too good to be true, but Rebecca Marcus, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Maei MD, confirmed that hair minimizing creams do actually work in an interview with Byrdie. "Typically, these creams cause hair to grow more slowly and with a finer texture," she explained. "These creams contain ingredients that take action on the hair follicle, inhibiting enzymes that are necessary for hair growth."

It can be easy to confuse minimizing hair lotion with depilatory creams. After all, they're both associated with hair removal. To clear up any confusion, depilatory creams are used on the actual body hair. Per Medical News Today, depilatory creams are to be applied directly on hairy areas after bathing. The thioglycolic acid in the cream then works to break down the hair. Unfortunately, this form of hair removal, though painless and quick, will usually grow back in just a few days.

On the other hand, minimizing hair lotion is used after you've removed the hair (emphasis on after). This is because minimizing lotions work at the root to slow hair regrowth, Karly Fitzgerald, senior manager of product strategy at European Wax Center, told POPSUGAR. Fitzgerald went on to label waxing as the ideal hair removal if you want better results with a minimizing hair lotion. "The technology only works on skin that has been waxed or plucked because waxing pulls hair out directly from the root, vs. shaving, which simply cuts it off at the skin's surface," she said. This way, the lotion has immediate access to the hair follicle.