How Does Nair Work? - How to Discuss

How does Nair work? Hair removal chemicals such as Nair work by identifying hair structure. Each hair is made up of fibres of a protein called keratin. The keratin fibres are twisted together like a thread and held by chemical bonds. Chemicals in Nair and other depilatories break or weaken these bonds. This dissolves the hair.

What is Nair?

Nair is a product of an at-home hair removal brand called depilatory. It is a cream, lotion, or gel. There are several product names for chemical depilatories. They temporarily remove unwanted hair from the body and face.

Nair and other depilatories can be found at your local store. Nair is spread on the surface of your skin. It breaks or dissolves hair to dry. Chemical depilatories and Nair remove the hair shaft, the part you see on your skin. They do not remove hair under the skin or hair roots.

Chemical hair removal is not new. Native Americans use a chemical called lye to eliminate body hair. The people of ancient Turkey used quicklime, or calcium oxide, to remove hair.

Nair ingredients

The ingredients used in Nair are:

thioglycolic acid salt: potassium or calcium

a base of calcium, potassium, or sodium hydroxide

The base chemical in Nair causes the hair shaft to open or swell. This helps chemical salts to get into the hair and breaks down the bonds that make the hair strands stick together. Sulfer bond is present in the hair, and Nair attacks the sulfur bonds. The sulfur reaction can create a rotten egg odor.

Nail laboratory tests have found that it does not work on cotton, polyester, and rayon fibres. This is possible because these natural and synthetic fibres have no sulfur bonds. That’s why Nair and other chemical depilatories may not damage your clothes.

The products of Nair may also contain:

perfume or fragrance

water

cetyl alcohol

calcium carbonate

sodium lauryl sulfate

sodium silicate solution