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The brand Veet has probably the most well-known hair removal creams. There are several such creams on the market. They contain chemicals that weaken the hairs, making them easy to remove.
Your hair is made up of keratin. This can be broken down. Exactly how this works is due to the ingredients thioglycolic acid and potassium hydroxide. These substances react together to generate the hair removal chemical potassium thioglycolate, which causes hair loss. The effect is to break down the hair's building material. Besides thioglycolate, these depilatory products contain pH-stabilising salts, because the depilatory action only occurs within an environment with a certain pH level. Therefore, depilatory creams often contain alkaline ingredients such as calcium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to raise the pH level.
If you are using a hair removal cream for the first time, it is wise to apply it to a small area of skin. That way, you can see how your skin reacts to it.
Increased pH helps the substances in the cream break down the sulphur bonds in the hair's keratin protein, making the hair softer and easier to remove. Not only in hair, but also in the outer layer of the skin, keratin is found, which can therefore also be broken down by the thioglycolate. Be careful with these creams and do not use them differently or longer than prescribed. This means this method of hair removal isn't suitable everywhere on the body. On sensitive areas and too close to the eyes should be avoided.
Epilation does not require much explanation. You pull out a hair that is growing where you don't want it. Hair stays out longer this way than after shaving because it is pulled along with the hair follicle. With a good pair of tweezers, the hair can be pulled out with root and stay out for a relatively long time. For removing a single hair near the nose or eyebrows, tweezing is a popular method. For more hair, it is a rather painful option. Incidentally, it is a fable that hair follicles are activated by epilating. The opposite is true. In fact, hair growth is more likely to decrease slightly by epilating because the hair follicle may be damaged.
Besides the fact that epilating is painful, there is a chance of irritating the skin. It can lead to redness or even ingrown hairs.
Wax strips are actually quite simple. The wax attaches to the hairs and skin, you then pull that off, leaving the hairs attached to the wax. Not much different from pulling off a plaster, in other words. Its advantages, compared to shaving, is that hair is removed completely. As a result, it takes longer for it to grow back. However, waxing can be uncomfortable or painful, especially for people with a low pain threshold.
The advantage of waxing is that you can enjoy a smooth result for about three weeks. And if you do the treatment more often, the hair might grow even less. But one disadvantage is the increased risk of the occurrence of hyperpigmentation. Or pigment spots caused by skin damage. Problems such as redness and hypersensitivity can also occur by using wax that is too hot. We therefore have cold wax strips in our range. These are gentler on the skin.
Laser hair removal uses concentrated light beams to damage hair follicles, slowing hair growth and making hair disappear. The light is absorbed by the pigment - this gives hair its colour - and converted into heat. This heat damages the hair follicle, slowing hair growth. The principle behind this is called selective photothermolysis. Laser hair removal therefore also works more effectively on people with dark hair and light skin. The contrast is greater so the hair absorbs less heat from the laser beams.
Hair grows in cycles and not all hair is in the same phase at the same time. Therefore, several sessions are needed, usually spread over several weeks to months, to treat all hair follicles in the growth phase. Multiple sessions are therefore needed for permanent results. Nor is it painless. Although many people describe laser hair removal as only mild discomfort, for some it can feel very uncomfortable. That is why anaesthetic creams are often used to reduce sensitivity.
The ideal depilatory method depends on your personal preferences, the sensitivity of your skin and, of course, budget. Experiment with different methods to discover which suits you best. If you have concerns about the sensitivity of your skin, consider consulting a dermatologist. Whatever hair removal method you choose, it is important to read and follow the instructions carefully. After all, it concerns your skin.
