How does nair hair removal work

It is important to carefully follow the directions for use to minimize any risks. It is usually a good idea to apply hair removal cream to a small area of your skin if it is your first time using the product to test for any side effects.

You should be particularly careful before using these types of products if you are prone to rashes and breakouts or have had reactions to other hair removal creams. Hanau, H. What are hair removers, and how do they get rid of unwanted fuzz? Plesa J, et al. Effect of a depilatory agent on cotton, polyester, and rayon versus human hair in a laboratory setting.

Annals of Emergency Medicine, 65 3 , Self-inflicted chemical burns caused by depilatory cream use: the price of beauty. Indian Journal of Burns, 27 1 , Be the first to know about the latest medical and health research. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Today, the hair removal options available at home or at professional salons are safe and—depending on your tolerance—relatively painless. Creams are a popular option for at-home removal.

To understand how these work, you first have to understand hair. Hair is made of fibrous proteins called keratin, twisted like yarn or rope into long bundles. Keratin strands are cross-linked by covalent disulfide bonds and weaker hydrogen bonds. The active ingredients in brands Veet and Nair are salts of thioglycolic acid like potassium thioglycolate or calcium thioglycolate in combination with bases such as calcium, sodium, or potassium hydroxide.

The bases serve two purposes. They cause the hair to swell, opening its keratin fibers to allow thioglycolate to penetrate. Break enough of those, and the hair degrades completely and can simply be wiped away.

Because of this mechanism of action, chemical hair removers are remarkably selective, studies have shown. Researchers tested Nair on thin, thick, and medium hair, and on cotton, rayon, and polyester fibers. All three strands of hair broke within 10 minutes, but the remover had no effect on the other fibers, none of which contain disulfide bonds.

Other experiments have shown that cream hair removers should have a pH between about Dermatologist Meghan Feely says cream hair removers can cause chemical burns for some people. They should be used according to their directions to minimize risk. Because these chemicals are so effective, the book is basically closed on finding new depilatory agents, says Heike Hanau, a marketing manager for Merck KGaA, which used to supply calcium thioglycolate for hair removers.

Waxing is another common method for hair removal that can be done at home or by a professional in a salon. Wax, a mixture of lipids and long alkanes, can come from bees, plants, or petroleum products.

The long alkyl chains make the wax a malleable solid at or just above room temperature. For hair removal, the wax is generally heated and spread across the skin. Sugaring has emerged in recent years as a trendy alternative to waxing. It works by the same principle: Spread a thick paste across the skin, then pull it off, along with some hairs. In this reaction, water hydrolyzes table sugar, known to chemists as sucrose, splitting it into glucose and fructose. The product, the mixture of hydroxylated glucose and fructose, is known as invert sugar in the food world, and it crystallizes at a higher temperature than sucrose alone, making for a spreadable wax.

First, it allegedly penetrates more deeply into hair follicles for more complete removal. Should I do a patch test before each use — even when I have already used that same product successfully in the past? Yes, you should. The skin is very sensitive and can frequently change its composition with changes in your hormone levels. Since your skin is constantly in a state of change, we advise that it is necessary not just desirable to do a patch test each time to avoid any adverse reactions to the ingredients in our products.

Cream Products. If I wash my hair after applying the cream, will it act to remove the hair on my head? What is the shelf life of the Creams? Can I use other grooming products or toiletries on my skin after using Removal Creams? We advise that you wait at least 24 hours before using any of the above. Can I use a depilatory cream on my skin if I have a cut or abrasion? It is advisable that your skin is clear from cuts or abrasions as you apply the cream.

Will this product affect how my hair grows back? No, it doesn't affect the rate your hair grows back, nor the thickness of the hair shaft. Depilatories contain ingredients that work by breaking the chemical bonds that hold hair together. Will waxing affect how my hair grows back? If you wax exclusively on a regular basis, hair will not grow back as quickly over time. How do I remove excess wax residue?

Our wax products can simply and easily be removed with soap, lukewarm water and a damp washcloth. Will waxing hurt? As with any wax treatment, some discomfort may be experienced. This can be reduced by removing the cloth strip quickly from taut skin.

I lost the sponge. Is it available to buy separately? At this time, we do not offer the sponge as an individual item to purchase. We also recommend using a damp washcloth.

Why do I have to use the sponge to put the cream on? You can use your hands. The sponge applicator allows you to apply the cream without touching it.