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Depilatory

Depilation is a process whereby a depilatory paint is applied to a (sometimes pre-shorn) hide or skin and let to soak for several hours during which chemicals act to de-hair the skin. Depilatory agents have been used for many years to remove unwanted hair from skin on the human body. The removal of hair from the human body has received considerable attention, both for medical and for cosmetic reasons. Various methods exist to remove unwanted hair. Conventional methods focus on mechanical removal and chemical depilation, whereby unwanted hair is removed once it has already appeared above the surface of the skin. Other methods involve the prevention, suppression or retardation of hair growth, by an alteration in the rate and character of hair growth. Mechanical methods employed for depilation include tweezing, plucking, electrolysis, shaving and X-ray techniques. Tweezing and plucking are of limited utility because their use is confined to a localized area. Electrolysis and X-ray techniques are pain and require the use of expensive equipment, while shaving leads to skin irritation. Chemical depilatory compositions are effective in removing unwanted hair from larger areas on the skin. These compositions typically cleave disulfide bonds in hair keratin, causing the hair fiber to disintegrate. However, most chemical depilatory compositions are strongly alkaline, causing dermal irritation particularly on sensitive facial skin.

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