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Do Hair Removal Creams Make Hair Grow Back Thicker?

By Viktoria
Updated: June 28, 2024
5 minutes
Do Hair Removal Creams Make Hair Thicker

The truth is, hair removal creams don’t have the power to transform your hair. The appearance of each strand is determined by a complex interplay of factors, such as hormones, genetics, body location, and even diet. Neither depilatory creams nor shaving can alter the structure of your hair follicles to produce thicker or fuller hair.

Other hair removal methods like waxing, epilation, and tweezing affect the hair follicles inside the skin. The more you use them, the more havoc they are able to cause the hair roots and follicles. Consequently, they can cause your hair to grow back with a thin texture. This is not just a theory but a conclusion drawn by Kurt Stenn, an experienced Biologist who specializes in hair growth. He posits that the idea that hair grows back thicker after shaving or using depilatory creams is a myth.

Table of Contents:

Part 1: How Do Hair Removal Creams Work?

How Do Hair Removal Creams Work

It’s important to know that hair shafts are essentially keratin – a protein held together by hydrogen bonds. Hair removal creams, on the other hand, are essentially thioglycolates of acids and their salts. These salts can be potassium or calcium, but when they interact with hair, they weaken the bonds that hold the protein together, making it easy for you to wipe the hairs off.

Every depilatory cream has a timeframe within which it is safe to use. This is not a suggestion but a crucial instruction. For most of them, this time ranges from three to ten minutes. If you wait longer than the manufacturer advises, your skin can develop negative side effects like irritation, pigmentation, and even a burning sensation. It’s important to be aware of this and to follow the instructions for your own safety.

Using hair removal creams is generally safe for most people. Its action is fast and does not require emptying your bank account. It’s also one of the methods that guarantees an almost painless experience if you follow instructions. Nevertheless, there are a couple of setbacks that make it fall short of a perfect method.

  1. Foul Smell:Hair removal creams are notorious for smelling like rotten eggs once they interact with your hair. That’s because hydrogen sulfide molecules are released when your hair dissolves. Many producers have devised means to counteract this smell, but its success rate varies across boards.
  2. Temporary Removal:Since this method does not eliminate the hairs from their roots, you can expect that your hairs will be back just after a few days. The speed at which your hair will regrow will depend on your normal hair growth cycle.
  3. Restrictions:Hair removal creams cannot be used to remove nose hair, butt cracks, and hairs very close to the eyes for safety concerns. Also, it’s not a method suitable for removing head hair unless you plan to go bald. Therefore, it’s not an all-round method.
  4. Chemical Burns:The calcium or potassium hydroxide in depilatory creams often cause 1st and 2nd-degree burning in sensitive-skinned individuals.  Also, some light-skinned folks report that these creams cause discoloration or blackening at certain spots. These effects are attributable to the chemical constituents of these creams.

Because depilatory creams are essentially chemicals, you will do well to conduct a patch test before applying it all over your body. The test helps you to know its compatibility and safety for your skin, and whether there are terrible side effects that you cannot cope with.

Also, different hair removal creams are made for different body parts. For instance, some creams are majorly formulated for facial hair, while others are for the pubic area. To get the best outcome, always ensure that you use the right cream at all times.

Part 2: Tips to Prevent A Thicker Hair RegrowthTips to Prevent A Thicker Hair Regrowth

As mentioned already, hair removal cannot cause a thicker or faster hair regrowth; it’s majorly a function of your hormones and genes. If you don’t want your hair to grow back quickly and thicker than it originally was before you removed it, you should consider using a method that reaches the hair follicles. Shaving and depilatory don’t get to the hair follicles, and so will not affect how your hair regrows.

However, for a general hair treatment regimen, the following tips will be helpful to keep your hair lustrous and healthy.

  • Limit tight hairstyles like ponytails, buns, and braids that pull on the hair, causing tremendous stress to the hair follicles.
  • Limit heat styling because of its tendency to cause hair breakage. You can alternate your styles to ensure that you effectively space out stylings that require heat.
  • It’s not advisable to brush your hair when it’s still wet because of snapping. Wait for it to dry naturally, or blow it.
  • What you eat also affects your hair’s texture and look. As such, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and get enough rest.
  • Scalp treatment also helps your hair to grow healthy. Alternate coconut oil and aloe vera when massaging your scalp, and ensure that you massage gently.

Part 3: IPL: A Long-term Hair Removal Solution

If you’re keen on getting a long-term holiday from hair and you want a method that is convenient and can be done at home, consider IPL. It’s a light-based approach that works by disrupting your normal hair growth cycle.

Put succinctly, IPL removes unwanted body hair by targeting the melanin in your skin to produce a heating effect that affects the normal functioning of the hair follicles. If used repeatedly for a long time, it can result in long-lasting hairlessness. IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light, and it is available as a portable handheld device with some accessories to aid its functions.

Ulike Air 10

Ulike Air 10 is a reliable IPL device with the up-to-date features that you need to remain hair-free within a few days. The design is superb, affording a smooth handling and a firm grip. The IPL showcases an industry-leading dual-light head that delivers up to 21J energy for a quick result. With its SHR mode that deals with even spiky hairs, you can start witnessing a significant drop in hair quantity and length in just two weeks.

Ulike Air 10 offers nearly painless hair removal, thanks to its NexGen cooling technology that neutralizes the heat generated by the light. It also has a smart skin sensor that automatically aligns your skin with the right treatment mode. With this, you are doubly protected from mistakenly using a treatment mode that may not be compatible with your skin tone.

Conclusion

The idea that hair removal creams make hair grow back thicker is a myth. The method works much like shaving, although it delays regrowth slightly than shaving. If you want a method that is nearly painless and delays or stops hair regrowth, consider IPL. And, in choosing an IPL device, consider Ulike Air 10 because of its up-to-date features and reputation.

Viktoria
Viktoria
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