Final answer:
Hair removal methods fall into two categories: depilation (removing hair above the skin, e.g., shaving or using chemical depilatories like Nair) and epilation (removing the entire hair).
Step-by-step explanation:
There are two general categories of methods for hair removal: depilation and epilation. Depilation involves removing hair at the surface level, while epilation removes the entire hair, including the part below the skin. The most common depilation method is shaving or trimming, and another method includes the use of chemical depilatories such as gels, creams, and lotions.
Chemical depilatories, like popular brands Nair, Magic Shave, and Veet, contain active ingredients such as salts of thioglycolic acid and thiolactic acids. These compounds break down the disulfide bonds in keratin, weakening the hair structure, allowing it to be easily wiped away after application. They are usually left on the skin for about 10 minutes and require careful rinsing afterwards.