Mistakes when using hydrogen peroxide to remove leg hair

Hydrogen peroxide is used as an antiseptic. However, it is not suitable for all wounds.

What is hydrogen peroxide used for?

Master Ngo Xuan Quynh, Nam Sach 2 High School, in charge of Chemistry Magazine (hoahoc.org) said that hydrogen peroxide also has the scientific name hydrogen peroxide, with the chemical formula H2O2. This is a transparent liquid, more viscous than water with different concentrations from 1.5-30%.

Hydrogen peroxide has long been used as a secondary antibacterial agent, with bleaching, deodorizing, and wound cleansing effects.

When applying hydrogen peroxide to a wound, we see bubbling because at this time hydrogen peroxide releases oxygen which has antibacterial effects, leading to the removal of tissue debris and pus to clean the wound.

However, the antibacterial ability is only most effective at a concentration of 3%. When used at a higher concentration, not only is the antibacterial effect no longer high, it can also cause damage to the skin and cells, destroy healthy tissues, and cause burns. The concentration of 30% hydrogen peroxide is considered the most concentrated, capable of killing living tissues and healthy cells.

In addition to its antibacterial and wound-cleaning effects, this solution is also used in combination with other disinfectants to disinfect hands, skin and mucous membranes; to rinse the mouth during the treatment of acute stomatitis and to gargle to deodorize; to clean the root canal and pulp cavity. In addition, it also has a mild hemostatic effect.

Hydrogen peroxide is not as harmless as you think.

According to Master Quynh, although hydrogen peroxide is widely used and can be purchased at any pharmacy, in reality, this solution is not as safe as many people think. It can also cause unwanted side effects when used incorrectly in terms of time and concentration. When used in large concentrations and for a long time, it will destroy the mucous membranes and burn the skin.

Masters recommend that for wounds that are healing (new skin is forming), you should not use this type of water because it will damage tissue, making the wound take longer to heal.

Regarding this, Dr. Le Dac Phu, Emergency Department, Military Hospital 103 also said that in medicine, hydrogen peroxide is used quite commonly, especially effective for infected wounds. All injured patients must use this solution.

However, it should only be used on wounds that have just occurred. In cases where granulation tissue has appeared, absolutely do not apply hydrogen peroxide because it will damage this tissue, making the wound difficult to heal.

According to Dr. Phu, hydrogen peroxide should only be used on wounds for the first 1-2 days, and on the third day it should be replaced with other solutions, such as saline. That also means that this type of liquid should not be allowed to come into contact with healthy skin.

Many women have used hydrogen peroxide to remove leg hair without knowing that this action will cause tissue necrosis in the area around the hair removal.

In particular, if this solution is splashed into the eyes, it will cause corneal damage, equivalent to other burning solutions. In fact, there have been cases of people confusing eye drops with hydrogen peroxide, pouring this solution directly into the eyes, causing permanent blindness.

“In case of hydrogen peroxide burns, it is necessary to quickly treat by washing the exposed part with saline to dilute the solution,” Dr. Phu recommended.

Master Quynh added that hydrogen peroxide vapor can explode above 70 degrees Celsius, so it is important to store the solution in cool conditions.

“Hydrogen peroxide vapors can form explosive substances when in contact with hydrocarbons such as oils and greases. Therefore, distillation at normal pressure is very dangerous. Other dangerous reactions ranging from ignition to explosion are recommended: combination with alcohols, ketones, carboxylic acids (specifically acetic acid), amines and phosphorus,” said Master Quynh.

According to experts, drinking hydrogen peroxide directly is very dangerous because the decomposition in the stomach will release a large amount of gas leading to internal bleeding.

According to the regulations of the Ministry of Health, hydrogen peroxide is not allowed to be added to food. However, for profit, many establishments have used hydrogen peroxide to bleach food. Meanwhile, the types of hydrogen peroxide illegally used in the food industry are often impure and contain many impurities and toxins that can seriously affect the health of users.

According to Zing.vn