Excessive facial hair in women is a more common problem than you may initially think, affecting people from all ages and backgrounds, and for many it is not simply a cosmetic irritation, it can be a source of anxiety and embarrassment which can greatly impact on the person’s quality of life.
There are a number of reasons why it may occur, excessive hair growth in an area where there is usually little hair growth such as the face, may be hereditary, result of a hormonal disorder or as a side-effect of some other medicines you may be taking. It occurs as a result of an elevated production of the hormone androgen, or because your skin is or has become more sensitive to this hormone. Despite the various causes no one cause makes this condition less distressing or frustrating for a sufferer.
There are many ways in which someone may try to deal with unwanted facial hair, from waxing, shaving or plucking. None of these permanently remove the problem.
Eflornithine is the medicine that is commonly used in a cream form used to treat facial hirsutism, which in layman’s terms refers to excessive hair growth. In the UK it is sold under the brand name Vaniqa and this contains 115mg of Eflornithine per 1g of cream. Vaniqa is the only prescription only treatment licensed in the UK for the treatment of this condition.
There is another alternative known as Eflora Cream which contains Eflornithine Topical 139 Mg per 1gm of cream. Eflornithine is a drug which has been shown to reduce the growth of unwanted facial hair in women. Within the hair follicles are enzymes which stimulate the growth of hair, Eflornithine works by blocking the action of this enzyme. Eflornithine works differently to many of the alternative approaches to dealing with unwanted excess hair, many of which typically remove the hair once it is present, Eflornithine, when applied to the skin of your face or chin, it will reduce the rate at which unwanted hair grows.
Eflornithine in a cream form is easy to use, you simply apply a thin layer to the affected area.
Many people will do this morning and night as it is recommended that you leave eight hours between applications and you won’t want to have to wash your face immediately after applying. Eflornithine is not a quick fix, and you may not notice an immediate difference when you start using it, it takes a bit of time for the effects to become noticeable, but generally this can be used in conjunction with your current hair removal method, you should discuss with your medical practitioner to decide whether this is appropriate. Some users have reported seeing an improvement within eight weeks, but obviously everyone is different and medicines work differently for different people.
Carl Clay is a health blog author who has been writing about nutrition, fitness and healthy living for over 10 years. He also loves to run, hike and bike with her wife.
