Hair Removal Creams

If the brand names Veet and Nair sound familiar to you, that’s because these are the two best selling hair removal creams in the market. Veet offers hair removal creams, gels and mousses, as with cold and warm wax strips that are mostly targeted to a women’s market.   Nair, on the other hand, offers hair removing creams for both men and women.

What are hair removing creams, anyway?

Hair removing creams are chemical depilatories, which are cosmetic preparations used to remove exposed hair from the surface of the skin. This is the opposite of epilatories, which pulls the hair roots from under the surface of the skin.

Most commercially produced hair removing creams like these usually contain calcium thioglycolate or TGA. This organic compound is usually a clear liquid preparation with a rather strong chemical odor. TGA is the active ingredient that helps break down the fibrous structure of the hair’s keratin, which in turn weakens the hair follicle’s hold on its roots. Once the hair is loose, so to speak, it can easily be scraped off. 

How to use hair removal creams

Basically, the use of hair removal creams is very, very easy. It is however, advisable to read product labels first before using any of these creams. Standard application goes:  

• You test an area of your skin first. This is to ensure that the person using the cream is not bound to develop any allergic or adverse reactions to the hair removal cream.
• You spread the cream on the skin and let it stay there for 3 minutes at the very least, but no more than 6 minutes at a time. Since this is a chemical preparation, it is usually advisable to use the spreading implement as opposed to using your bare hands when putting the cream on. A wooden or plastic spatula will work fine. If however, you do need to use your hands, it is recommended that you wash immediately under cool running water.
• Once the time elapses, a wooden or plastic spatula is used to scrape both the cream and the hair off.
• Rinsing the skin with cold water immediately after hair scrapping is then recommended. This is essential since any cream left on the skin can cause redness and irritation, and even a susceptibility to open wounds. Keeping a steady eye on the time may just spare you a lot of discomfort.

Precautions…

Although this is a temporary method of hair removal, it should be noted that hair removal creams are actually very strong chemicals. Often, it is advised to wait 2 or more days before using the product again in the same spot. Also, it is recommended that the plastic spatula (which is often available with the package) is used to spread the cream on the skin. Using your hands may not be such a good idea and if you do need to use them, it would be best to rinse with cold water immediately after application.  

Most hair removal creams in the market are only safe to use on arms and legs. If you are thinking of buying one for your back, it is therefore prudent to ask your dermatologist to create you a special preparation. The skin on your back is highly sensitive and the dermis is relatively thinner as compared to the rest of the body. However, there are now special preparations (milder preparations) which may be useful in eradication unwanted back hair. If you would like to try this, you should ask someone to help you apply and scrape off the cream.

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