What is a Nair chemical burn?

A chemical burn, from Nair or any other hair removal cream, is a potentially serious skin irritation caused by the strong alkaline ingredients in the product. When using such depilatories, the instructions must be followed carefully, especially those regarding testing the skin for sensitivity, confining use to specified regions of the skin, and removing the product within the time indicated.

To treat slight irritation, the area needs to be kept moist with an ointment containing petrolatum while a 1 percent hydrocortisone ointment can be used to reduce the redness. If, however, the redness persists beyond a day or two, or if pustules or a discharge develops, a doctor needs to be consulted.