Depilatory Creams for Hair Removal

You may be unfamiliar with depilatory creams; however, all hair removal creams and hair removal gels are a form of depilatory. Nair and Veet are two of the most popular depilatory hair removal products.

Hair removal creams and gels work by mixing the chemical thioglycolate with sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide, which dissolves the hair from the surface of the skin. Hair removing creams can leave the skin soft, smooth and hair-free for up to two weeks.

Treating Specific Areas

Depilatories can be used on the bikini area, legs, face and underarms, and they are even safe to use for upper-lip hair removal. Just be sure that the formula you purchase is safe to use on certain areas of the body. When using facial depilatory creams, be sure to test a small area on your arm before applying it to the face.

Maintenance

Hair removal gels and creams sound simple -- just apply the solution to the area for a few minutes and wipe away. Unfortunately, the process can be messy. If you're not careful, your bathroom could end up covered in hair removal cream. However, some products come with kits that include a small, shaver-like tool to help remove the cream neatly, enabling users to get a closer "shave" on certain areas. The unpleasant chemical odor familiar to those who have used hair removal cream in the past has been improved -- now some depilatories are available in pleasant scents.

Cost

Another perk of depilatory creams is their cost. Hair removal creams are usually no more than $10 and come in ample sizes, allowing quite a few applications.

Using depilatory creams for hair removal is just one way to remove unwanted hair. Consider the waxing hair removal option, which you can learn about on the next page.