Even though shaving is one of the most common hair removal methods, certain areas of the body can become irritated from the scrape of a razor. Some women have turned to other choices such as using depilatories to prevent those bumps and rashes in places like the bikini area. Depilatories have actually been around for centuries in various forms in the pursuit of our age-old quest to remove unwanted hair.
In the 1800s, women used depilatories made from concoctions of mixed chopped oak and white wine or walnut oil, celandine roots and distilled water. Cream depilatories began being sold in the 1920s to 1930s under various patents. In 1940, Nair came on the scene, invented by Dr. Kenneth Nair, and depilatories then became increasingly popular and have remained so today.
How depilatories work:
Depilatories work by penetrating the hair shaft and dissolving the protein bonds that hold the hair together, allowing the hair to separate easily from the skin. The two active ingredients typically used are either sodium or calcium thioglycolate, which are alkaline chemicals that can cause burns if left on the skin too long. Depilatory hair removal is supposed to keep an area hair free for up to 4 to 5 days, which is a little longer than shaving.
Why they smell:
That rotten-egg smell, which no amount of fragrance seems to obliterate, is caused from the thioglycoate (which contains sulfur) as it is exposed to air or rubbed on the skin. Some odor may also be due to the chemical reaction that breaks apart the sulfur bonds within the keratin (protein) in the hair.
Precautions when using depilatories:
The protein composition of our skin is similar to that of hair, so if depilatories are left on the skin too long, they can create irritation from prolonged contact. Depilatories should be removed from the skin after between 5 to 15 minutes depending on the type and coarseness of the hair you want to remove. Read the directions closely on the container to determine the length of time. Never use depilatories around the eyes to remove eyebrow hair or on inflamed or broken skin.
Definitely do a patch test first to make sure you are not sensitive to the depilatory chemicals or allergic to the fragrance. In deciding which product to choose, pick one that advertises it is for the part of the body you want to remove hair, i.e. bikini area or underarms, because certain products are formulated for different areas.
To prevent ingrown hairs some women suggest taking a shower first to warm the skin that the depilatory will be spread on, then lightly rubbing the area using a loofah. After applying and removing the depilatory, take a warm shower again to rinse, even though it seems like a hassle to take two showers.
Today’s depilatories come in a variety of products such as creams, gels, lotions, sprays or roll-ons. They are supposed to exfoliate as well as remove hair so they will soften the skin as they are wiped off. The smell is an unfortunate trade-off for lack of razor stubble or the pain of waxing. Maybe keeping a pair of those swim nose clips handy during a depilatory session would help.
Sources:
www.emedicine.com/derm/topic503.htm
www.enotalone.com/article/8406.html
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/40111.html
www.quikshave.com/timeline.htm
Michele is an R.N. freelance writer with a special interest in women’s healthcare and quality of care issues. Other articles by Michele can be read at http://www.helium.com/users/487540/show_articles