Depilation Tips

• There are ways besides shaving and waxing to get silky smooth legs. woman touching her leg image by forca from Fotolia.com

  Depilation is a form of body hair removal in which a depilatory cream is applied. A depilatory cream is one that, within a small amount of time, dissolves the hair at the root and leaves the skin hairless and silky smooth. The drawback to depilation is having a skin reaction to the chemicals. Follow these tips before trying this method.

Before

• Before attempting to depilate, do a patch test on the underside of your wrist with a pea-size dab of depilatory cream. Allow 24 hours to pass. If nothing happens, go ahead and use it. If you burn or break out, do not use a depilatory cream, as you may be allergic. Also, avoid exfoliating or scrubbing your skin beforehand. This can cause excessive irritation.

  For best results, use a depilatory cream after a bath or shower. If you've been in hot water, your hair is softer and the pores are open, providing better results. Also, if you tend to break out in red spots after shaving, you probably have sensitive skin. There are special depilatory creams formulated for sensitive skin.

During

• Never use a depilatory cream on an open wound, or even a small cut or abrasion. Also, do not use it on sunburned skin. When you put it on, apply the depilatory cream thickly. Do not rub it in like lotion; spackle it on liberally so all of your skin is covered. Also, follow the directions precisely. Do not leave the cream on longer than the instructions say.

After

• Moisturize well after depilation. The chemicals can dry the skin out. If your skin is itchy after using the depilatory cream, apply an aloe gel to cool and soothe it.