Treating Ripped Skin After Chemical Burn

By Patricia | November 23, 2009

I have chemical burn or some kind of skin being ripped of after using a hair removal cream on my lips, it is very sore and scabbing over, any remedies please?

It would appear that you have suffered the effects of a chemical burn. This can sometimes happen when you use a hair removal cream. Hair removal creams, electrolysis, and laser hair removal all share one common method of permanently removing hair and that is by burning it off. You might be interested in knowing that this method of hair removal is not really temporary because the burn that is caused is only to the level of hair exposed at the top of the skin. This means that the hair will grow again and you will have to go through the ordeal many times more. You would be better off using an epilator or waxing as this works to remove hair from the roots.

The reason that you suffered a burn is not just an allergic reaction but a natural reaction to some of the chemicals in the cream. The content of these creams is the same as most hair relaxers and the governing logic is that the hair’s molecular bonds are so badly destroyed by this cream that it s then easy to just wipe away. The main ingredients of these creams are calcium hydroxide and thioglycolic acid. These combine to form calcium thioglycolate, which can break open the disulfide bonds in keratin thus making hair easy to almost peel off. Calcium hydroxide is a very strong alkali and is quite caustic to the skin and this is the reason that you got a burn.

Treatment

To start treating this, first ensure that there is no infection in the area by using an antiseptic soap or tea tree oil. Next, you need to start getting rid of the scabs, which are basically clumps of dead skin, by using a salicylic acid face wash. This will break open dead skin protein only and with repeated use will remove the scab completely. While this healing process is under way, you should use some turmeric and chick pea flower with a dash of water as a slap on paste to remove any hair growing in the region. If there is any pain still happening near the area of the burn, then you should apply a cold towel over it, which will reduce pain and inflammation. In the future, it would be more prudent to use a technique like sugaring to epilate as this pulls hair from the root and in time will cause hair to stop growing completely.

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