Excess Female Facial Hair Treatment

This service is not suitable if:

• You are male
• You are under 18 years of age
• You are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
• You are breastfeeding
• You have not been assessed by your doctor to exclude a significant medical cause of your symptoms
• You are taking any of the following medications: 
  • Cyclosporine
  • Long term oral steroids e.g. Prednisolone
  • Minoxidil
  • Phenobarbitone
  • Phenytoin 
  • Danazol
• You have been diagnosed with any of the following conditions: 
  • Cushing’s Syndrome
  • Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
  • Hormone producing tumours of the ovary or adrenal glands

Hirsutism is the medical term for excess hair growth in women. It is fairly common, affecting approximately 10% of females and can cause emotional distress to many of these women.

This hair is usually thick and dark, and is quite noticeable compared to other facial hair. It typically grows in areas associated with male pattern hair growth (upper lip, chin, chest, abdomen, thighs and bottom).

There are many causes of excess female facial hair (hirsutism), the most common being related to androgen hormones. Hirsutism can occur if the level of these hormones rises or if your body grows more sensitive to them.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reason for this. PCOS is an ovarian condition that can cause other symptoms such as acne and irregular periods.

Other less common causes include: 

• Certain medications
• Anabolic steroids
• Genetic predisposition
• Ethnicity
• Cushing’s Syndrome
• Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
• Hormone producing tumours of the ovary or adrenal glands

It is worth noting that we can all have different interpretations of what excessive facial hair is, and a different view on what is acceptable for us. 

It can be a normal variant, but it is important to ensure that a serious underlying medical diagnosis is not missed. 

Vaniqa cream contains the medication eflornithine. It is a prescription medication that can be used to control excess facial hair in women. It cannot be used to treat excess hair in other areas.

Vaniqa treatment is suitable for women who are suffering from unwanted facial hair growth who have been assessed by their doctor to exclude any significant underlying medical cause for this issue.

If you would like to talk to a GP about your symptoms before applying for this treatment, please book an appointment to see one of our Irish-registered GPs.

You may still need to remove unwanted hairs while using this treatment and it can be used in conjunction with other hair removal techniques.

It can take at least 8 weeks for you to start seeing results when you start using Vaniqa, but it can take longer for some women.

Keep using Vaniqa for up to 4 months, if you have not seen any improvement then stop. It is not going to work for you.

It is important to note that this treatment is not equally beneficial in all women.

Like all medications, there are potential side effects with Vaniqa, however, not everyone will experience these. 

As it is a cream, the most common side effects are localised and include acne and skin redness, dryness and irritation.

If your skin becomes irritated or dry when you first start using this cream, apply it once per day instead of twice per day for a week or two and see if this helps.

If these side effects are troublesome, or you are experiencing other symptoms you feel may be related to Vaniqa, please stop the cream and speak with a doctor.

For full details of the side effects of Vaniqa, please read the patient information leaflet before you use this treatment.

• Use this cream twice a day to the areas of your face that are affected.
• Avoid your eyes, mouth and inside of your nose
• Apply a thin layer of cream and rub it in well (until you cannot see it)
• If you have removed hairs, wait at least 5 minutes before applying
• Leave at least 8 hours between applications
• If you are applying moisturiser or make up after the treatment, do this at least 5 minutes after applying the cream
• Wash your hands well after use, and avoid washing your face, for at least a few hours!