Removing unwanted body hair is a common goal of many adults and teens. Fortunately, consumers can pick from several hair-removal options, each of which offers its own set of benefits and drawbacks. One such hair removal method is depilatories. Available as creams, lotions, gels or aerosols, depilatories remove hair when spread on the skin.
How Depilatories Work
Depilatories are either highly alkaline or highly acidic, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In both cases, depilatories dissolve hair by affecting the hair's protein structure. This dissolved hair can then be washed or wiped from the skin. Because depilatories do not affect the hair root, your hair will eventually reappear.
Where They're Used
Depilatories are commonly used to remove hair from the legs and underarm and bikini areas, according to Teens Health from Nemours. Certain depilatories may also be used on the face. Not all depilatories are meant to be used on the bikini area, so read the label if you're looking for a depilatory to remove pubic hair.
Advantages
According to Teens Health, depilatories offer an inexpensive and quick method of hair removal. Depending on how quickly your hair grows, the removal will last for several days to two weeks. Depilatories are also a generally painless hair-removal method, assuming that you do not have an adverse reaction to the chemicals, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Disadvantages
Depilatories often have an unpleasant smell, and application can be messy, according to Teens Health. Depilatories do not always work as well on coarse hair. Depilatories may cause side effects such as stinging and itching, a rash, blisters or peeling, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Reducing Side Effects
The Food and Drug Administration advises that you carefully follow all instructions on a depilatory label. To ensure that you tolerate a particular depilatory, it's wise to test the product on a small area of your skin before proceeding with widespread hair removal. Depilatories should never be applied to inflamed or broken skin or used on any areas close to your eyes.
Compared With Other Options
Other popular hair-removal options include shaving, waxing, electrolysis and laser removal. Electrolysis and laser-hair removal offer long-term solutions, while depilatories fall on the shorter-term end of the spectrum, generally offering hair removal that lasts a bit longer than shaving but not as long as waxing. Waxing, electrolysis and laser hair removal can be quite expensive. Depilatories and shaving, however, are very affordable.
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