Depilatories, or hair removal creams as they're often called, aim to remove your hair through breaking down the protein called keratin which makes up anywhere from 65% - 95% of the structure of individual hairs. These creams go by many names and brands like Nair and are possibly the most popularly used. Knowing what it is we're comparing the pros and cons for is the first step to figuring out whether or not hair removal by these means versus hair removal via laser treatment are the right option to go for.
The Pros of Nair Hair Removal Versus Laser Hair Removal
Both laser hair removal and products like Nair offer a relatively painless solution to removing of unwanted hair. Nair can be used at home, without making an appointment, which can be a benefit for those who are low on time. Laser, on the other hand, is performed by a licensed professional and proves to be a longer term solution for a long term problem.
The Cons of Nair Hair Removal Versus Laser Hair Removal
There is an undeniably pungent odor that comes with products like Nair. As much as these brands try to push out a product with fragrant smells like raspberry cream, there is still the underlying egg-like smell that many users find repulsive. Nair also does not remove hair for any longer than a typical waxing session. Laser hair removal, on the other hand, can last for months or even years for many patients, with maintenance sometimes needed as hair regrows.
Other Products Like Nads Hair Removal Cream
Nads is a brand that stakes its hold in the promise of a clean hair removal solution. What they offer includes products beyond hair removal creams, such as waxing kits, but that's not what we're concentrating on at the moment. It's Nad's hair removal cream that has the spotlight in this guide. Products like Nads have attempted to take certain benefits found in Nair creams and elevate them. Despite these efforts, one of the main complaints about Nads hair removal cream is the same type of smell found in Nair. There is also the fact that it does no better to remove stubborn hairs found in sensitive spots of the body and many sensitive skin types are still prone to breaking out from its use.
Do the Pros Outweigh the Cons?
Looking at the evidence behind the long list of cons for chemical hair removal creams versus laser hair removal, it's easy to see why so many are turning to the longer term solution. Laser hair removal has become more comfortable with new technologies in the laser hair removal business. There is some speculation surrounding laser removal being a more expensive option. The fact of the matter is that laser hair removal has become increasingly affordable, and of course is a permanent way to get rid of your excessive hair.
Allergic Reactions in Sensitive Skin
Most of these hair removal creams will suggest that you try out their product in a small area of skin to test whether you will react badly to them. Even when this is done on an area of the arm, the truth is that the skin on the arm is different than the skin on the leg or bikini line. Different areas of the body are more sensitive to chemicals. It's similar to when the armpits are shaved versus the bikini line. The armpits might experience no adverse reaction to being shaved, whereas the bikini line might break out in razor burn that itches and burns for days with no relief.
The same applies to chemicals placed on the skin. Since it is a chemical that is being used to break down the natural protein in your hairs, it makes sense that extended use of the product can lead to chemical burns on the skin. With laser hair removal, this is not an issue, since the non-invasive procedure only targets weakening hair follicles and not the surrounding skin tissue.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
Hair growth is not immediately removed via laser hair removal. What this method does is it slows down the growth of hair to the point that you no longer have to worry about shaving. The lasers target your hair follicles in such a way that it will render them basically inactive the more times they are dealt with using lasers. It can be done on any part of the body, even in hard to reach places or sensitive areas that you would not want to touch with a razor or strong chemical filled hair removal cream like Nair.
Overview of Personal Laser Hair Removal Treatments
As a consumer and user of numerous hair removal methods, I've tried everything from painful hair epilators, waxing, plucking, shaving, and hair removal creams. This exploration of different methods for hair removal has led me to finding laser hair removal as my main means of hair removal. It was not something that showed immediate results but it is a means of hair removal that has worked for a longer term. It takes at least five to ten sessions to begin to see results but once you do, the results are lasting. It will only last as long as you stick with going to your appointments consistently but it will minimize any irritation on the skin and it has proven to be worth the journey without all of the hassle and discomfort from hair removal creams.
Those who suffer from excessive hair growth, due to hormone imbalances or other genetic factors, will find all the benefits of laser hair removal on their own. By damaging the hair follicle at a microscopic level, the hair will slow down its growth over time, no matter the cause of the hair growth. There are studies to suggest that over time, hair can actually permanently be diminished after enough sessions. Regardless, while products like Nair hair removal and Nads hair removal have their place, laser hair removal has proven to be one of the most non-invasive procedures to longer term hair removal available to date.
Why Laser Hair Removal Wins
Nair and Nad's can be convenient. You put the cream on, wait, rinse it away, and the visible hair is gone. For someone who needs a quick solution before a vacation, event, or weekend, that convenience is hard to argue with.
But there is an important difference between removing hair and reducing the amount of hair your body continues to produce.
That is where laser hair removal changes the equation.
Nair & Nad's Remove the Hair - Laser Targets the Source
Hair removal creams work at the surface. Their active ingredients break down the hair so it can be wiped or rinsed away. The follicle underneath the skin remains, which means the body can continue producing another hair.
Laser hair removal takes a fundamentally different approach. Concentrated light energy is absorbed by the pigment in the hair and used to damage the follicle responsible for producing it. With a properly planned series of treatments, the treated hair generally becomes less dense, finer and slower to return.
In other words, Nair and Nad's are solutions for the hair you have today.
Laser hair removal is designed to reduce the hair you will have to deal with tomorrow.
The Difference Becomes Obvious Over Time
One application of Nair may give you smooth skin today. A laser treatment is not supposed to accomplish everything in one visit.
Hair grows in cycles, and laser energy is most effective when hairs are in the appropriate growth phase. That is why laser hair removal requires a series of treatments rather than one appointment. As treatments progress, many people see less hair growing back, with the remaining hair often becoming finer and less noticeable.
This is the part of the comparison that is easy to miss.
With a depilatory cream, you start over every time the hair returns.
With laser hair removal, each treatment is part of a longer-term strategy to reduce the amount of unwanted hair you have to manage.
Less Dependence on Temporary Hair Removal
Think about how often unwanted hair has to be dealt with.
Cream. Rinse. Regrowth. Cream again.
Or shave. Regrow. Shave again.
Or schedule another waxing appointment.
For someone with persistent unwanted hair, that routine can continue for years.
Laser hair removal is appealing because the goal is to make that routine progressively less necessary. Many patients remain hair-free for months or even years after completing treatment, although maintenance treatments may sometimes be necessary.
That makes laser particularly attractive for people who are no longer looking for another temporary hair-removal product. They are looking for a way to reduce the problem itself.
What About Sensitive Skin?
This is another area where the comparison deserves some nuance.
Depilatory creams are chemicals designed to dissolve hair, and they can irritate the skin. It is recommended to test depilatories before using them because burning, stinging and irritation can occur.
Laser hair removal does not dissolve hair with a chemical cream. It uses concentrated light energy to target the hair follicle. However, laser treatment is not completely risk-free either. Temporary redness, swelling and discomfort can occur, and treatment parameters need to be selected appropriately for the individual's skin and hair characteristics.
That is one reason professional experience matters.
The Real Advantage: Fewer Things to Think About
Perhaps the best reason to choose laser hair removal has nothing to do with whether Nair or Nad's works.
They do work for temporary hair removal.
The question is whether you want to keep doing it.
If you are tired of remembering to buy another tube, waiting for the cream to work, dealing with the odor, wondering whether your skin will tolerate the product, or simply repeating the same process every time unwanted hair returns, laser hair removal offers a completely different long-term strategy.
Instead of continually asking, “How do I get rid of this hair?”, the goal becomes “How much less hair can I have to deal with?”
That is why laser hair removal wins for people who are ready to move beyond temporary solutions.
A Better Long-Term Approach to Unwanted Hair
There is nothing wrong with using Nair or Nad's when temporary hair removal is exactly what you need. But if unwanted hair has become a recurring chore, continually removing the visible hair may no longer be the most satisfying solution.
Laser hair removal can provide substantial, long-term hair reduction when treatments are performed appropriately and completed as recommended. Results vary according to factors such as hair color, hair thickness, skin type, treatment area and the individual's hair-growth cycle.
At Elite Laser Care, I take a personalized approach to laser hair removal for men and women throughout North Scottsdale, North Phoenix and surrounding Arizona communities. After more than 20 years in the field, my focus is simple: provide professional, individualized treatment designed around your hair, your skin and the areas you want treated.
If you have spent years shaving, waxing or using Nair and Nad's and are ready for a longer-term solution, laser hair removal may be the next step worth considering.
Call Matthew Sutherland in the North Scottsdale/Phoenix Arizona area at: (602) 770-1211 to setup a consultation now!
