Final answer:
Permanent hair removal is achieved through methods like electrolysis, not depilation. Depilatory creams and similar products offer temporary hair removal by breaking down hair proteins. Electrolysis permanently damages hair follicles to prevent regrowth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The only recognized permanent hair removal process is not depilation but rather a method that damages the hair follicles to a point where hair regrowth is permanently prevented. The most common forms of depilation, including shaving and the use of chemical depilatories, remove the hair above the skin surface or just below it. Chemical depilatories work by breaking down the hair's protein structure, specifically the disulfide bonds that give hair its strength. These products, such as creams, lotions, and gels, contain active ingredients like salts of thioglycolic acid or thiolactic acids. However, they do not provide a permanent solution as they do not destroy the dermal papilla responsible for hair growth.
A permanent hair removal option includes electrolysis, which involves the insertion of a fine probe into the hair follicle and the application of an electric current to permanently damage the hair follicle. Unlike depilatory methods, which are only temporary, electrolysis can stop new hair from growing, making it a long-term hair removal solution.
It is worth noting that semi-permanent terminology is often associated with hair color, not hair removal. Semi-permanent hair color does not lighten the hair and only deposits color, but bleaching hair is permanent as it removes natural pigments.