Facial Hair Removal

Vaniqa is only available on prescription so you need to discuss with a doctor whether or not it's right for you. This can be any doctor, i.e, your regular GP, a dermatologist or one of our London-based online doctors.

Our doctors can establish your suitability for Vaniqa, based on an online consultation and post the medication to an address of your choosing.

Vaniqa is very effective at suppressing unwanted hair growth. Studies found it to vastly reduce excessive facial hair in approximately 60% of cases (after 24 weeks of use).

As explained earlier, Vaniqa will not remove any hair that is already there, so it must be used in conjunction with your preferred hair-removal method (such as waxing, shaving or epilating).

Vaniqa is not a permanent cure for hirsutism. Vaniqa's hair-reducing action will cease within two months of stopping the medication.

Vaniqa treats the symptoms and helps to diminish unwanted hair growth, but it doesn't address any underlying causes, if there are any.

Excess male-pattern body hair in women is quite common and is usually caused by chronic and benign disorders (aging, polycystic ovary syndrome). But it may be an indication of a more serious endocrine disease such as Cushing’s syndrome or an androgen-secreting tumour. So it's important that you talk to your doctore about excess hair growth to decide whether more investigation is needed.

Vaniqa suppresses hair growth and should be combined with hair removal methods to achieve the best possible result.

Vaniqa is not suitable for everyone. You should not use Vaniqa if:

• you’re male
• you’re under 12 years of age
• you’re allergic to any of the active ingredients: anhydrous eflornithine hydrochloride, ceteareth-20, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, glyceryl stearate, methylparaben, mineral oil, PEG-100 stearate, phenoxyethanol, propylparaben, stearyl alcohol. Consult your doctor if you’re unsure
• you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. As this is a new drug, there have not yet been any studies into the effect of Vaniqa on pregnancy. It’s currently a pregnancy category C medication, meaning that adverse effects have been highlighted in animal studies

In addition to the above, before using Vaniqa, you should make your doctor aware of:

• your medical history. Paying particular attention to cuts, infections, and sores on the face
• any prescription/ non-prescription/ herbal products you use. So that your doctor can assess the likelihood of any drug-drug interactions, particularly where other skin care or hair removal products are concerned. Similarly, when taking Vaniqa, you should not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine without checking with your doctor first

You should also be aware that taking any of the following drugs can increase androgen levels in your system and exacerbate hair growth. If you're taking any of the following medications this may be something you want to address with your doctor first, before moving onto Vaniqa:

• Anabolic steroids (topically or systemically)
• Androgens
• Danazol
• Progestogens
• Minoxidil

Mild side effects (including acne, tingling/burning and redness) have been experienced in a small number of cases but this is very rare. It is generally safe to use and only 2% of people have ever stopped using it due to unwanted side effects.

Vaniqa should only be used on the facial area. It is not advised to use this treatment on any areas other than those deemed safe to use.