Depilation removes hair above the surface of the skin. The most common form of depilation is shaving. Another popular option is the use of chemical depilatories, which work by breaking the disulfide bonds that link the protein chains and give hair its strength. By breaking the disulfide bonds, the hair disintegrates.
Epilation removes the entire hair, including the part below the skin. Therefore, its results last longer than with depilation. Some individuals may use waxing, sugaring, epilation devices, lasers, threading, intense pulsed light or electrology. Hair is also sometimes removed by plucking with tweezers. Embedding the hair in a sugar and citric acid mixture, which can then be used to pull the hair out, is an example of the epilation process.
