With bikini season approaching, it's time to think about every woman's least favorite activity: body hair removal. It's a necessary evil come summer. However, there's one hair removal product that can really ruin your beach body. In fact, dermatologists recommend avoiding this product at all costs because it can severely damage your skin. Click to find out if this product is hiding in your medicine cabinet.
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You should always avoid using hair depilatories or hair removal creams. Depilatories work by dissolving hair with chemicals, such as calcium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. However, these chemicals can also irritate skin, sometimes for months at a time. Gervaise Gerstner, MD, a dermatologist based in New York City, told Prevention, "Contact dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) from hair removal creams can be like a second-degree burn." Ouch.
Dr. Rebecca Baxt, another dermatologist told the New York Daily News that hair depilatories are her least favorite of all the hair removal options. She warns, "Irritation can show up immediately in the form of red, raw skin, or can take a few days."
There are some true horror stories surrounding the use of depilatories. According to the Daily News, one woman suffered from third-degree burns when she hit the beach after using Veet. However, Dendy Engelman, a dermatologic surgeon in NYC, told the Daily News, "Even without sun exposure I've seen people who have been burned or irritated from the product just because it is fairly caustic to the skin."
Dr. Gerstner recommends using either laser hair removal or simply shaving instead of using hair depilatories. After all, wouldn't you rather shave a few times a week opposed to having irritated, red skin all summer?