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Is Nair Safe For Your face And Groin?
You may have heard mixed opinions about Nair, which makes you wonder is Nair safe, or you should look further for other hair removal creams. When we spend double time in the shower for shaving, we often get tired. Many women have opted for other shaving products, such as Veet and Nair.
For those thinking, is Nair safe or what Is Nair? Nair is a chemical-based cream for hair removal. You cal use it as a substitute for your razor. It might appear as an easy and quick solution to remove hair, and there are some concerns about its safety. Before using Nair or other depilatory creams for hair removal, you must know the essential things.
What is Nair?
Nair is a brand of creams known for removing body hair. Hair-removal cream and depilatories are chemicals that remove undesired hair temporarily on the body and face.
A depilatory is a lotion or cream with a powerful, alkaline-based ingredient. Depilatories function by removing hair plainly at the skin surface. They can only remove your hair from the surface and not the hair root beneath your skin.
The components of Nair depilatory lotion involve:
- potassium or calcium thioglycolate
- sodium, potassium, or calcium hydroxide
Other than these components, Nair also has the following ingredients:
- Sodium silicate solution.
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- cetyl alcohol
- calcium carbonate
- fragrance or perfume
- water
- Aloe vera
- baby oil
- almond oil
How does Nair hair cream work on your skin?
Before knowing how Nair cream works are essential to know your hair structure. Each hair follicle is formed of keratin. Keratin is the protein fiber wrapped together like yarn and maintained by a chemical bond.
The potassium or calcium hydroxide makes your hair swell, thus opening the keratin fibers. It assists the thioglycolate salts in entering the hair and cuts down the sulfur bonds keeping the fibers wrapped or coiled. Once the sulfur bonds are destroyed, the hair deteriorates and can be cleaned easily.
Nair also functions as an exfoliant, eliminating dead skin cells on the skin surface.
As depilatory creams function by burning the hair, they may sometimes burn your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin. This is why women often wonder whether Nair is safe to use.
Can Nair burn the skin?
Nair or other depilatory cosmetics may burn your skin, even after using them as indicated. The chief ingredients in Nair cream are chemicals like potassium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide. These chemicals make the hair shaft swell so that the chemicals can penetrate and break down the hair. Still, these chemicals might also hurt or irritate the skin.
While FDA approves several brands, all depilatory creams always come with apparent warnings as the chemicals are potent and may cause severe burns and reactions in some people.
The Food and Drug Administration’s Office of colors and cosmetics mentions it has obtained reports claiming “burns, itchy rashes, stinging, blisters, and skin peeling linked with depilatories and few other kinds of cosmetic hair removers.” You might notice redness or burning while using such a product. In some instances, it may require a few days for rawness, redness, or stinging to appear.
You may now make out is Nair safe or not. Let’s see what to do if you get burns after using depilatories.
How to treat burns?
There are over-the-counter and home remedies to treat burns due to depilatory creams. Try these if you notice burning sensations.
Home treatments for burns
- Remove the chemicals of the skin by washing using cool water. Ensure you altogether remove the product from the skin and clothes before you start the treatment.
- Because Nair cream is acidic, it may be best to use an alkaline cleaner, which might help neutralize any burns.
- Try applying hydrocortisone cream, and it is a topical steroid that can help limit some of the swelling linked to chemical burns.
- Cover your burns in Neosporin and then apply a bandage or wrap it using gauze.
- If you feel the burn is stinging even after following the measures, you can use an excellent cold compress to calm down the burning sensations.
- Try an over-the-counter pain reliever to help you handle any discomfort.
- Keep the burning wet using lots of petroleum jelly.
Medical treatments
If the burn continues to trouble you, starts to ooze, or starts getting worse, it is essential to ask for medical attention. A few medical treatments for depilatory burns might include:
- antibiotics
- debridement (removing or cleaning dirt and dead tissue)
- anti-itch medicines
- intravenous fluids, which will help with healing
Precautions when using Nair and other depilatories
You may use Nair for the legs, bikini or pubic area, and the lower half of the face, but make sure to avoid direct contact of creams with the genital area. If you are about to use Nair or other depilatories rather than waxing, laser hair removal, or shaving, then it’s best to take the given safety precautions:
- Always carry out a patch test on a small part of your arm or leg.
- If you are using Nair for the first time, let it on for less time than recommended on the bottle. Two-three minutes are enough to start.
- Have a cold, wet washcloth on hand if you begin to feel burning.
- As Nair cream is acidic, keeping an alkaline lotion in hand can help neutralize the burn.
- Hydrocortisone or petroleum jelly application can also serve to soothe a burn.
Is Nair safe for your face?
If you are wondering is Nair safe for your face or not before application, try a patch test. Nair is usually regarded as safe for application on the lower half of the face, including your chin, mustache line, or cheeks. If your skin type is sensitive, it is best not to use Nair anywhere on your face. There are different, safer ways for facial hair removal.
If you are applying Nair nearby your mouth, exercise extra precautions to ensure no cream enters your mouth, as the chemicals within such creams can be deadly to ingest. Do not apply Nair near your eyes, so do not use it on the eyebrows.
Is Nair safe for the Groin?
You now know there is Nair safe for the face or not, but what about the Groin? You can apply Nair on the bikini line area or Groin on the thigh (there is another type of Nair especially for applying near the bikini area). However, never use Nair on your anus or genitals.
What are the disadvantages of using Nair?
A few disadvantages of applying Nair or other depilatories are:
- Not fitting for ears, nose, or brows.
- Include strong chemicals that may potentially damage your skin.
- Results are very short-lived than waxing.
- The skin grows sensitive to the sun.
The Bottom Line
Nair is a famous brand of depilatory cream utilized at home to eliminate undesired hair from the legs, face, or bikini line. Depilatory creams are composed of strong chemicals that may lead to chemical burns, even after following the company’s instructions.
If you sense burning or stinging after using Nair, wash the cream off as quickly as you can. If you still feel redness and burning, clean your body fully, then put a healing cream like Neosporin.
You can also use over-the-counter medications for relieving pain as they help lessen the burning and inflammation. If the burn seems to be getting more serious, or it begins to turn yellow or ooze, reach a doctor instantly, as this can be a symptom of a more severe infection.
If you plan to use other depilatory creams like Nair or Veet and wonder how long the results will last, here’s what you need to know.
