Unwanted hairs on the body are problematic and worrisome for everybody especially when there is any religious occasion, party, or get-together. Therefore you are continuously struggling to remove them again and again to get neat, clean, and irritation-free skin. For this purpose, you may start shaving, waxing, chemical creams, or plucking but all are temporary methods.
What are Depilatory Creams and IPL Hair Removal Devices:
Have you ever used depilatory cream or IPL hair removal devices? If yes then it’s good, if no, then no problem, You will be able to understand both hair removal techniques at the end of this article.
Depilatory creams are applied on the upper layer of skin as a thin layer and within a few minutes, it affects protein hair structure. Hairs on the skin start dissolving and converting into a jellylike mass that is easily removed from the skin. Therefore you can say it is a very easy and relatively quick method of removing hairs from the skin for a shorter period.
Hair removal creams are available in a huge variety ranging from males to females to specific parts of the body. These are available in different prices, qualities, specifications, and compositions because various brands are manufacturing them in their own way.
The science and techniques behind IPL hair removal is the use of light energy in the form of heat energy. IPL hair removal devices have an inbuilt source of broad-spectrum light wavelength, when it hits the skin, it is converted into heat. This heat energy damages the hair roots and hair growth is stopped for many weeks.
Don’t worry! It is not very difficult to get, you can visit a clinic or salon for laser hair removal and can use it at home with the help of IPL at-home devices with proper professional tools and instructions.
How Depilatory Creams and Hair Removal Devices Works:
Hair-removing creams have versatile compositions but one ingredient is common which is a mixture of thioglycolic acid and sodium hydroxide. Hairs are made up of different protein strands and thioglycolic acid breaks the protein strand and directly affects the hair structure.
When these creams are topically applied on the skin, they denature protein in hairs and they become soft and dead. They have a jelly-like consistency now and can be easily removed from the skin with the help of an applicator. It takes 5-10 minutes in total to remove hairs with the help of depilatory creams.
On the other hand, IPL hair removal techniques use the Intense Pulsed Light principle to remove hairs from any part of the body for a longer duration. You can also read an excellent article on IPL hair removal for IPL hair removal apparatuses and procedures.
Have you ever wondered how it removes hair permanently? The answer is very simple, IPL does not work superficially on the skin, rather light energy is emitted from IPL devices to produce heat that directly affects melanin pigment in the hair follicle. Hair roots become weak and dead therefore it takes 4-5 weeks for the hair follicle to regrow and make hair strand again.
It takes almost 20-30 minutes to remove hairs with IPL because, first you have to shave the area from where hairs need to be removed, then you need a professional set of tools and procedures on the skin to get somewhat permanent hair removal.
Pros of Depilatory Creams:
Depilatory creams are the quickest way to get hair-free and smooth skin because;
- They are painless.
- You don’t need any professional tool or guidance.
- Hair creams have additional ingredients to make skin glow and moisturise.
- It is a very quick method that takes less than 10 minutes.
It does not involve hair cutting so hair edges are soft and irritation free.
Pros of IPL Hair Removal:
Being the most common hair-removing technique, IPL hair removal is famous because;
- It is a less messy method as either you need an IPL at-home device or a laser session.
- IPL works on small ingrown hairs and roots and prevents regrowth.
- IPL hair removal device makes your skin hair-free and smooth for up to 6 months and then for many years if you use it regularly.
- The latest IPL devices use ice-cooling technology to relieve the pain and make it pain-free.
Cons of Depilatory Creams:
There is no doubt that depilatory creams are cost-effective, efficient, and easy dye method to remove hairs but it has a few disadvantages such as;
- Hair removal creams may cause burning, redness, and irritation on the skin.
- They have a bad odour that irritates the nasal cavity sometimes.
- Creams have chemicals in them and they may produce chemical reactions because all chemicals are not safe for all.
- The use of hair-removing creams is not a permanent solution because the skin remains hair-free for a very short duration.
Cons of IPL Hair Removal:
IPL hair removal is a permanent solution to hair growth but;
- It is not effective for dark skin and light hair colours such as blonde and grey.
- It is costly in both cases either you purchase a device or get regular sessions.
- It can be painful and produces redness and irritation to the skin.
IPL hair removal devices are somewhat costly and need professional equipment and methods but they give permanent solutions to hair removal. Depilatory creams remove hairs easily and quickly but you will get rid of hairs just for a couple of days. Thus IPL hair removal is a great invention where you can get hair-free and smooth skin permanently..
