Is It Safe To Use Depilatory Cream Nair During Pregnancy?

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Can you use Nair while pregnant? Active hormones in pregnancy can cause an increase in unwanted hair growth. Shaving or plucking them can give you breakouts. Skin is also extra sensitive to many products during pregnancy. You may ask dermatologists before using prenatal hair removal products such as Nair during pregnancy. They may help you to choose suitable products for your skin type.

Before visiting the doctor, you may read on to know if it is safe to use depilatory creams such as Nair during pregnancy and how often you could use hair removal products.

Is Nair Safe During Pregnancy?

Nair is a hair-removing topical agent applied to the skin to remove unwanted hair. The manufacturer claims their product is safe during pregnancy when followed by all the instructions. There is no scientific evidence that hair removal during pregnancy could harm maternal health or fetal development (2). However, here are some crucial points to consider.

• The mild chemicals that mix with the bloodstream of the would-be mother do not affect the unborn in any way. However, health experts often recommend avoiding products with harsh chemicals, especially during the first trimester, due to the heightened skin sensitivity (3). That is why some consider it best to avoid chemical-based products during pregnancy, especially if they have sensitive skin. Instead, they find using an epilator or an electric shaver convenient.
• Read the label and the instructions on the pack before using the product. Labels typically provide essential information about potential risks, ingredients, usage instructions, and safety precautions, which can help determine product safety. 
• Perform a patch test at least 48 hours before using any product on a larger area. Apply a small amount of the product to a small area and observe for any adverse reactions. This is particularly important during pregnancy as hormonal changes can increase skin sensitivity due to hormonal changes.
• Consult a doctor for proper prenatal guidance on such products, especially if you are unsure about their safety for you and your baby.

A blogger and mother of three shares the products she refrained from using during her pregnancy based on her doctor’s recommendations, “My doctor advised me to avoid permanent and semi-permanent hair removal procedures like laser treatments and electrolysis since there is no evidence proving that these are safe during pregnancy. I wasn’t too worried because I don’t use either of those methods for hair removal. She also mentioned that just to be cautious, I should avoid or limit the use of hair removal creams like Nair (ⅰ).”

Point to consider

Do patch tests each time before using Nair. It is because the body’s chemistry can change, and you might have a reaction even if you didn’t have it before (7).

When To Stop Using Depilatory Creams

Women generally get highly sensitive to smells during pregnancy. Look for the following symptoms that and consider them seriously:

• The smell of beauty products such as Nair may appear strong and result in headaches and nausea.
• Your breasts become very sensitive during pregnancy. The area around the breasts gets highly sensitive. In case of any discomfort or allergies, you must discontinue its use and inform your doctor (4).

• Stop using the product if you feel a burning or stinging sensation (8). 
• It is best to discontinue depilatory creams if you have been diagnosed with medical conditions such as rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, sunburn, or acne. Depilatory creams may also interact with retinol-based creams, causing sensitive skin irritation. Thus, you should avoid depilatory creams when using retinols or retinoids (9).

Quick fact

Hair removal creams contain chemicals. However, they may not cause significant issues when lower concentrations are applied to the skin for shorter durations (6).

Alternatives To Depilatory Creams

If you prefer to avoid chemicals, there are several temporary hair removal options that are generally safe for both mother and baby. These methods can often be done at home with minimal help, though some women might choose to visit professional salons for convenience (8) (10) (11). 

1. Shaving: Shaving removes the hair that is exposed through the skin. It is a simple and accessible process that can easily be carried out at home with just a razor. However, using a razor too frequently can cause burns, cuts, nicks, ingrown hairs, and skin irritation. Furthermore, pregnant women may find it inconvenient to shave in the later stages due to poor visibility of certain parts of the body. 
2. Waxing: This process is useful in clearing off unwanted hair and dead skin cells from their roots. Though a preferable method on most occasions, waxing during pregnancy comes with the challenge of increased pain, burning, and stinging sensations due to heightened skin sensitivity. However, applying a soothing antiseptic lotion after waxing can help resolve these issues. Also, waxing may be less painful if the hair is at least six millimeters long.
3. Threading: Threading involves using two cotton stings rolled over unwanted hairs in a specific way to cut them off. The process is precise and suitable for smaller areas; thus, it is often used for facial hair removal. However, it may not be ideal for pregnant women with acne-prone skin or eczema, as threading may worsen their condition and cause irritation.
4. Plucking: This is a highly affordable process that uses a pair of tweezers to pluck out unwanted hairs in smaller areas, such as the face and chin. However, this is time-consuming and painful. This procedure may also cause skin irritation, swelling, red bumps, and ingrown hairs. There is also a risk of infections from plucking, which may be remedied by sterilizing the tweezers with rubbing alcohol. 

Apart from the above, electric trimmers, epilators, and natural sugar waxing are also relatively safe alternatives to hair removal creams that don’t cause skin irritation. These serve a similar purpose to shaving, waxing, and plucking. However, permanent hair removal methods, such as laser hair removal and electrolysis, are best avoided during pregnancy as there is inadequate scientific evidence of their safety.

Precautions To Take When Using Hair Removal Creams

Even though Nair has been considered by most of the manufacturers and experts as safe during pregnancy, there has not been extensive research on the subject.

• Nair is made from a combination of potassium or calcium thioglycolate, calcium hydroxide, and sodium hydroxide which work by breaking the disulfide bonds in hair. Studies have proven some of these to be irritants that can corrode or Nair is composed of a blend of potassium or calcium thioglycolate, calcium hydroxide, and sodium hydroxide, which work by breaking the disulfide bonds in the hair. Research shows some of these irritants can corrode or damage the skin. So, read the instructions well and stop using the product immediately in case of skin irritations or rashes (12).
• Hair removal creams contain ingredients like acetyl mercaptan, mercaptoacetate, mercaptoacetic acid, and thiovanic acid, which are forms of thioglycolate. There is inadequate evidence to denote the safety of such ingredients during pregnancy (13). Thus, you must make it a point to check with your healthcare provider before using hair removal during pregnancy. 
• If you opt for professional services in a spa or salon, you must check with the services and ensure they are trained to work with the expecting mothers.
• Do not apply hair removal creams to sensitive areas, such as the areas around the eyes, lips, and bruised skin.

Avoid accidental ingestion of hair removal creams as this can cause depilatory poisoning, as indicated by a variety of symptoms, including burning throat pain, blurry vision, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, and vomiting (14).

Infographic: Using Depilatory Cream Nair During Pregnancy

Hair-removal chemicals such as Nair may seem convenient, but they also come with certain risks. Therefore, it is best to seek medical advice before using these products and make safe choices to protect yourself and your baby. The infographic below highlights crucial points to note before using Nair depilatory cream during pregnancy.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

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Dr. Karla S. Sanchez-BanosMD

Dr. Karla S. Sanchez-Banos is a board-licensed Ob/Gyn in Mexico, specializing in Adolescent Gynecology. She is also trained in Gynecological Endocrinology, granted by AMEGIN (Gynecological Endocrinology Mexican Association).

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Anshuman MohapatraM.Tech (Biotechnology)

Anshuman Mohapatra is a biotechnology scientist with more than six years of research experience in analytical chemistry and biotechnology. He has submitted his PhD thesis at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) and served as a research fellow (JRF/SRF) during his PhD tenure.

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Rebecca MalachiBSc

Rebecca is a pregnancy writer and editor with a passion for delivering research-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy. She did her graduation in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola Academy, Osmania University and obtained a certification in ‘Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy’ from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU).

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Dr. Joyani DasM.Pharm, PhD

Dr. Joyani Das did her post-graduation from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra and PhD in Pharmacology. Previously, she worked as an associate professor, faculty of Pharmacology, for two years. With her research background in preclinical studies and a zeal for scientific writing, she joined MomJunction as a health writer.

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