Depilation

Another common approach to facial hair removal as evidenced by the recent growth of products is depilation. Depilatories (typically thioglycolates in an alkaline formulation) remove the hair by chemically dissolving the disulfide bonds found between cysteine resi­dues that make up the keratinized hair shaft [7]. This approach can be efficacious on an acute scale and longer lasting than shaving, since hair is removed to depths slightly below the surface of the skin. However, anywhere from 10-25% of individuals will have side effects that include skin irritation, chemical dermatitis, and even allergic dermatitis. In addition, a major drawback of depilatories is the unpleasant odor produced by hydrogen disulfide gas that is released as a by-product from the thiol chemistry during use.