My email to Preparation H Headquarters

[HumnHilghtFreel]

I was sitting around earlier today and I was just thinking randomly, and suddenly I came up with a question that I couldn't find an answer to: Why is Preparation H called what it is? It's used for hemerrhoids, but has anyone ever bought and used it in preparation for them?

So I looked up the companies PR email and sent them this:

My question doesn't regard any of your specific products, but rather your product name. Why did you choose the name Preparation H for your product? I have never known anyone to ever buy your product in "preparation" of getting some of the symptoms it cures, so I'm intrigued by the name itself. I look forward to a reply and thank you for your time.

I'll let you guys know if I get a response.

I really need a hobby.

[BUTLER REDSFAN]

yeah this is a strange thread..no butts about it

[HumnHilghtFreel]

yeah this is a strange thread..no butts about it

That was the point! lol

[Doc. Scott]

This stuff doesn't work at all. I sucked down an entire tube and it did nothing for my hemorrhoids.

[GAC]

You're not suppose to eat it Doc.

[TeamCasey]

I'm guessing H is hydrocortisone.

[919191]

A friend of mine a few years back told me a story about a trip to get some Prep H. He had a hemmorroid that he couldn't take any longer, so he went to a convenience store near his apartment. After he paid, the clerk told him to have a good night. Now, this was about 3:00 AM. He told me he spun around and screamed at the clerk "I come here at 3:00 in the morning and get nothing else but Preparation H and you tell me to have a good night?" I bet the clerk still remembers him.

[GAC]

I'm guessing H is hydrocortisone.

Yep.

An active ingredient in some Preparation H products is phenylephrine in a .25% concentration, a drug which constricts blood vessels. This drug is more commonly used as a decongesteant in cold medications since restricting blood flow in the sinuses will reduce the amount of mucous they create. Since hemorrhoids are caused by inflamed blood vessels, this can reduce their size. Preparation H with hydrocortisone has only hydrocortisone as its active ingredient, in a 1% concentration.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preparation_H

It also contains..... Glycerin and Petrolatum as protectants, also 3.0% Shark Liver Oil and Lanolin are listed.

So I am assuming the "H" may stand for hydrocortisone.

And ladies, no matter what you may have heard, Preparation H will not get rid of puffy eyes.

This says it is...

http://www.epinions.com/well-review-...3A318E3B-prod4

This says it ain't....

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990305.html

But is commonly used for tatoo aftercare....

Preparation H is a commonly recommended part of tattoo aftercare. The same properties that help soothe anal irritation also make it useful for calming the skin of a freshly implanted tattoo. It is less damaging to the tattoo than Petroleum jelly, which can have a tendency to pull ink out of a fresh design. The vasoconstrictive properties also reduce the amount of bleeding, by narrowing the blood vessels that supply the surface of the skin. It is also said to help prevent the formation of scar tissue when the tattoo heals.

[GAC]

Here is a Preparation H "Self Test"

http://www.preparationh.com/utilities/index.asp


Then there is the Preparation H-bomb... "anything shoved up your anus against ones will."

[919191]

Bullets of health

[RBA]

Caution: Link is Political Humor.

http://www.humorgazette.com/images/preph.jpg

[RedsBaron]

A friend of mine a few years back told me a story about a trip to get some Prep H. He had a hemmorroid that he couldn't take any longer, so he went to a convenience store near his apartment. After he paid, the clerk told him to have a good night. Now, this was about 3:00 AM. He told me he spun around and screamed at the clerk "I come here at 3:00 in the morning and get nothing else but Preparation H and you tell me to have a good night?" I bet the clerk still remembers him.

That story reminded me of a comment a clerk at a local Wal-Mart made to me a few years ago. After I paid for my purchases, the clerk, an elderly lady, said: "Have a good evening."
The clerk then paused and told me: "I have to think before I say that to people. Earlier this evening I said that to a man after he paid for his purchases. I then realized that the only thing he had bought was a box of condoms."
True story.

[BoydsOfSummer]

Anybody ever hear the bit on Burbank's show when Gilbert Gnarley-G N A R L E Y- called the company that makes K-Y (Kentucky) Jelly? Maybe the funniest thing ever on that show.

[Roy Tucker]

I always thought the H was for hemorrhoids.

Had a roommate in college who was quite "active" with his girlfriend. They'd stop off at the drug store for supplies before the evening's activities and then he was well known for dashing out of the bedroom at a late hour to make an restocking run at the corner drugstore. The boy had a lot of lead in his pencil.

But not before asking us if we had any such personal items available. He'd offer us $10 each. If we hadn't been so addled, we should have realized the potential for econominic gain.

[letsgojunior]

According to Dr. Evil, they named it Preparation H because Preparations A through G did not work.