Hair Removal: Shaving, Depilatories, Tweezing and Waxing

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Hair where hair oughtn't be, according to the current dictates of American fashion, raises many an eyebrow. And so, for cosmetic reasons, millions of women, and a growing number of men, spend millions of dollars each year on products and services that promise smooth, silky skin free of "unsightly," "excessive" body hair.

For do-it-yourselfers, a variety of home-use hair removal products are available over the counter. These include shaving creams, foams, and gels; waxes; chemical depilatories; and electrolysis devices. Professionals at beauty and skin care salons and in dermatologists' offices provide waxing, electrolysis, and, most recently, laser treatments to remove hair. On April 3, 1995, FDA cleared the first laser for this use.

The cost, safety, effectiveness, and ease of use of the various methods, as well as the area and amount of hair growth to be treated, are some factors to weigh in choosing a method and deciding whether to go to a professional. Often, different methods are better suited for different areas.

FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition regulates chemical depilatories, waxes, and shaving creams and gels. (The Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates razors.) These products, says John E. Bailey Jr., Ph.D., acting director of the office, are classified as cosmetics, defined as substances applied to the body to alter the appearance, promote attractiveness, cleanse, or beautify.

The agency's Center for Devices and Radiological Health regulates electrolysis equipment and lasers.

Shaving

Shaving is by far the most common method of hair removal for both men and women. Men have been shaving their beards and mustaches for thousands of years, but cosmetic hair removal in women was relatively uncommon until after World War I. Now, many American women routinely shave their legs and underarms.

A clean razor with a sharp blade is essential for a safe and comfortable shave. Skin should never be shaved dry; wet hair is soft, pliable, and easier to cut. Contrary to what many believe, shaving does not change the texture, color, or rate of hair growth.

Depilatories

"Depilatories act like a chemical razor blade," Bailey says. Available in gel, cream, lotion, aerosol, and roll-on forms, they contain a highly alkaline chemical — usually calcium thioglycolate — that dissolves the protein structure of the hair, causing it to separate easily from the skin surface.

"It's very important to carefully follow the use directions for depilatories and to do a preliminary skin test both for allergic reaction and sensitivity," Bailey says. "Hair and skin are similar in composition," he explains, "so chemicals that destroy the hair can also cause serious skin irritations — possibly even chemical burns — if left on too long."

"The concentration of calcium thioglycolate is generally kept as weak as possible to avoid skin irritation, yet strong enough to work in a reasonable amount of time," says Stanley R. Milstein, Ph.D., special assistant to the cosmetics and colors director. "Contact with the skin is kept to somewhere between 4 and 15 minutes, depending on how fine or coarse the hair is."

Consumers should be sure to read the product label and select the formulation appropriate for the intended use, because skin sensitivity varies on different parts of the body. Some depilatories are for use only on the legs, for example, while others are safe for more sensitive areas, such as the bikini line, underarms and face.

Depilatories should not be used for the eyebrows or other areas around the eyes, or on inflamed or broken skin. To minimize the chance of skin irritation, they should not be applied more often than recommended on the product label.

Although cosmetics are not subject to premarket approval, FDA can take action against products that are found to cause harm.

"If we find an adverse reaction is occurring under recommended use conditions, and not because of misuse by the consumer, we can pursue any number of actions, depending on the severity and prevalence of the problem," says Bailey.

For example, he says, "A depilatory might cause second- or third-degree burns, and possibly scarring, if its formula is too strong or if an inactive ingredient in the product heightens its effect. In that case, FDA may, after evaluating the problem, initiate regulatory action such as seizure or injunction against the product or the firm to stop further manufacture."

Tweezing and Waxing

While depilatories remove hair at the skin's surface, "epilatories," such as tweezers and waxes, pluck hairs from below the surface. Waxing and tweezing may be more painful than using a depilatory, but the results are longer lasting. Because the hair is plucked at the root, new growth is not visible for several weeks after treatment.

Tweezing is impractical for large areas, however, because it is such a slow process. Women mostly use tweezers for shaping eyebrows and removing facial hair.

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.