Sir,

Sugaring, sugar waxing, or Persian waxing is a method of hair removal that has been in use since 1900 BC [1,2]. Historically, sugar was confined to the regions surrounding Persia until the first millennium AD. As a result, it is speculated that honey was the first sugaring agent. Sugaring was also known as sukkar or ḥalawa in the Middle East, as ağda in Turkey, and as moum in Iran [3].

In this country sincetimes immemorial the “arabic wax” was used for the long lasting epilation of belly dancers.

In order not to use chemical or synthetic substances to have a good epilation, the best way is to use sugaring or arabic wax, idest honey with some vegetal substance that inhibits hair regrowth for almost 120 days (generally the hair regrowth after depilation is 15 days and after epilation is 45 days).

Sugaring is often compared to standard waxing. During the process, a sugaring substrate sticks to and essentially removes hair without attaching to the skin, making it far less painful than waxing. The substrate can be applied at room temperature or heated to a lukewarm temperature, minimizing the risk of burns. For this reason, sugaring is generally preferred over waxing when it comes to removing hair from larger areas of skin [3]. If someone has sensitive skin, sugaring can nevertheless result in skin irritation and reaction [4]. However, this can sometimes be prevented by taking an antihistamine. Sugar itself is otherwise hypoallergenic.

Mimosa pudica is native to the tropical Americas. It can also be found in Asian countries such as Singapore, Bangladesh, Thailand, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Japan, and Sri Lanka. It has been introduced to many other regions and is regarded as an invasive species in Tanzania, South and Southeast Asia, and many Pacific islands [5].

Its name is due to its spontaneous movement of the leafes and flower, that close when stimulated in other ways, such as warming, touching, blowing, and shaking, which are all encapsulated within mechanical or electrical stimulation. These types of movements have been termed seismonastic movements. This reflex may have evolved as a defense mechanism to disincentivize predators, or alternatively to shade the plant in order to reduce water loss due to evaporation.

The species can be a weed for tropical crops, particularly when fields are hand-cultivated. Crops it tends to affect are corn, coconuts, tomatoes, cotton, coffee, bananas, soybeans, papaya, and sugar cane. Dry thickets may become a fire hazard [6].

In many regions of Latin America (especially Haway) virgins are reputed the vestals of the harvesting twice pro year of the flowers and buds in order to prepare forage for tropical crops, particularly when fields are hand-cultivated. Crops it tends to affect are corn, coconuts, tomatoes, cotton, coffee, bananas, soybeans, papaya, and sugar cane. Yhe distribution of flowers and leaflets of Mimosa pudica is made during the night, as dry thickets (roasted by sun) may become a fire hazard [7].

Girls who gather flowers of Mimosa pudica (and even Leucaena glabra in Honduras) undergo hair loss (eventually in the hands but even in the groins).

Another plant native to Brazil is coco de mono or Lecythis ollaria that is a species of tree found growing in forests in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela.

The nuts have a pleasant flavour and are eaten by humans [3]. When two previously healthy women in South America developed unexplained nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms, followed two weeks later by heavy hair loss, no cause could at first be found. It was later established that they were suffering from acute selenium toxicity brought on by eating paradise nuts.

Knowing all these informations the AA have decided to create a mixture made of honey enriched with sugar cane and porphyrized Mimosa pudica leaflets and flowers (or porphyrized nuts of coco de mono, whenever available).

Both women and men like to shave their body and especially girls love to epilate completely, to facilitate and encourage sex approaches with their same sex or the other sex.

The majorpart of orpiments (cosmetics apt to evoke a splendid epilation) provokes itching and inflammation (hélas Tallium salts for complete and irreversible epilation is nowaday banished!).

In other old papers AA had scrutinised the chance of employing other vegetal substances, but after years and exerience, these products resulted depilatories and not epilatories [8].

A girl (22y. old, from India, prone to a mild hirsutism) decided to undergo the epilation made by the same AA who prepared an orpiment and the following is the recipe:

Linden honey (with a slight refreshening effect);

Porphirized dried flowers of Mimosa Pudica (gathered during summer);

Vit A.

The epilation was performed directly upon the wet skin (thigh and groin, forearms and above the mouth).

To remove the waxy orpiment and cleanse the areas a caoutchou spatula has been sufficient.

A successive lavage with cornflower water is advisable.

Results are wonderful: skin appears like écru and the AA forecast a duration of several months of the epilation performed.

REFERENCES

1. Tannir D, Leshin B. Sugaring:an ancient method of hair removal. Dermatol Surg. 2001;27:309-11.

2. “History of Shaving“. Historyundressed.com. Retrieved 22 January 2014.

3. Fernandez AA, França K, Chacon AH, Nouri K. From flint razors to lasers:a timeline of hair removal methods. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2013;12:153-62.

4. Rouzi AA, Berg RC, Turkistani J, Alamoudi R, Alsinani N, Alkafy S, et al. Practices and complications of pubic hair removal among Saudi women. BMC Womens Health. 2018;18:172.

5. “Mimosa pudica“. Usambara Invasive Plants. Tropical Biology Association. Archived from the original on 2008-09-19. Retrieved 2008-03-25.

6. “Mimosa pudica L.“(PDF). US Forest Service. Retrieved 2008-03-25.

7. Hassan I, Keen A. Polycystic ovarian disease:a dermatologist’s viewpoint. Our Dermatol Online 2011;2:76-9.

8. Martini L. The rediscovery of the Redwood orpiment and a cocktail of plants macerates containing arbutin to defeat the Arribas-Silvestre’s syndrome in a bien agée upper class lady. Our Dermatol Online. 2017;8:399-401.