Vaniqa Cream

What is Vaniqa?

Vaniqa is a cream that you usually apply to your face twice a day. It helps to fight the effects of hirsutism - the name given to excess hair growth in women. Many women will develop hair on their face after going through the menopause - this is a finer type of hair, and is not the same as hirsutism.

Hirsutism is a condition that is thought to affect between 5%-15% of women. It is an aesthetic problem (that isn’t to say that it doesn’t affect your health), but it can sometimes be bad for your self-confidence or body image if you don’t like how it looks.

How does Vaniqa work?

Hirsutism is mainly caused by a hormonal imbalance. It usually happens when you have too many androgens, which are ‘male’ hormones. Sometimes this can be caused by an underlying condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome (or PCOS). If it is, then you may be able to treat this with the combined pill or other measures. Sometimes, it’s just caused by an oversensitivity to normal levels of androgens.

Vaniqa contains the active ingredient eflornithine, which works by preventing the enzyme that promotes excess hair growth from working properly.

What doses of Vaniqa are there?

Vaniqa is only available in one dose: an 11.5% cream. This means that if you’re using it and you don’t feel like it’s treating your condition as you’d hoped, then you should let our clinician know. It might be that you need to try an alternative form of treatment.

How to use Vaniqa

Always use Vaniqa as it has been prescribed. The usual method is to:

• Use it twice a day, at least eight hours apart.
• If it causes you irritation, reduce it to once a day. If irritation persists, let our clinician know.
• Wait at least five minutes to use Vaniqa after shaving or using another hair removal method.
• Clean and dry the areas of the skin that you’re going to use Vaniqa on.
• Apply a thin layer to the skin, and rub it in thoroughly until you can’t see any excess cream.
• If possible, don’t wash the areas of the skin that the cream is on for the next 4 hours.
• Wash your hands.
• Wait at least five minutes before using any make-up or sunscreen.
• Avoid contact with your eyes, and the inside of your mouth and nose. If you get any cream in these areas, rinse well with water

How long does it take Vaniqa to work?

The length of time that it takes for Vaniqa to work can vary from person to person, depending on how well you respond to the treatment. Improvement in the condition can often be noticed within eight weeks of starting the treatment. If you don’t notice any improvement in your condition after using Vaniqa for four months you should let us know, as the treatment should be discontinued.

You’ll also need to continue the treatment in order to maintain the beneficial effects. Once you’ve stopped using the treatment your condition might return to pre-treatment levels within eight weeks.

What should I do if I make a mistake when using Vaniqa?

Try not to apply too much of the cream to your face. If you do, simply wash it off and reapply it, using the correct amount.

If you forget to use it, don’t worry. You can apply it when you remember, so long as you keep an 8 hour gap between uses, and don’t use it more than twice in a day.

If you accidentally swallow Vaniqa, you should contact a doctor as soon as possible, as it can be dangerous.

Medically reviewed by

Dr Daniel Atkinson

GP Clinical Lead

on August 02, 2022.

Meet Daniel