Q. Is it true that Preparation H helps wrinkles on the face?
A. Decades ago Hollywood starlets were reputed to use the hemorrhoid cream Preparation H on their faces to smooth out wrinkles. The shark liver oil and live yeast cell derivative (LYCD) the product contained might even have had some benefit.
We’ll never know for sure. Preparation H has been reformulated. It no longer contains LYCD because the manufacturer could not produce studies demonstrating that LYCD would benefit healing of hemorrhoids. As a result, the FDA disallowed it. Any old reports about its power against wrinkles and other skin problems might not be relevant now.
In Canada, however, Preparation H may still contain LYCD, known there as BioDyne. Purchasing it online requires reading the ingredients list carefully, as not all Prep H sold in Canada contains BioDyne.
Susan told us:
“I have not used the “old formula” of Preparation H for myself; however, I have used it on my horses and always included it in my first-aid supplies at the barn.
“My mare once snagged her neck badly on a small-diameter cedar-tree limb that was incompletely cut and sticking out on a fence post. It was quite deep. After I filled the wound completely with the Prep. H just a few times, it healed completely, leaving no indication of the wound — no scar or anything.
“I was disappointed to read years ago about the formulation being changed to eliminate the shark liver oil and the LYCD. The new product did not heal as well as the old.”
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