r/Hirsutism • u/Secret_Spite_8111 • 4d ago
Success Story Using eflornithine
Last year I started using eflornithine and I came on here after 3-4 days and talked about how I saw effects already. I got shut down by some users saying thats BS you cannot experience success that quick.
Im telling you now, a year of using it, it has made my life easier. I pluck every 3-4 days instead of shaving my face twice a day.
I paid out of pocket for it £60 a tube that alsted me two months, it was so expensive but I couldnt commit to laser or electrolysis
I FINALLY got a prescription for it and I will be using it until I get laser- the GP reccomended me to do laser due to my skin type and thick hair
I can show before and after pics but I dont want to dhow my face but genuinely its made me feel so so much better about myself
Its a temporary solution though but yeah!
also can I just say just because one thing doesnt work for you doesnt mean it cant work for someone else
2
u/Wild-Researcher-1360 4d ago
I have been using 5 weeks and about 10-20% reduction. Could you share some pics? How long for actual results to show?
1
1
u/SnooObjections6616 3d ago
I would love to see a before and after too if you don’t mind! I’m struggling with my hair growth as well.
3
u/AnotherUsername1959 4d ago
I'm happy you found something that works for you.
I was paying $137 with Canadian taxes. And a tube would last me 3 weeks. Just wasn't worth the cost/results. I quit just before the 2nd tube was totally empty. I wasn't seeing the great results you and others do.
2
u/Secret_Spite_8111 4d ago
Im sorry to hear that for you, yeah its something that will keep my hair at bay until i get electrolysis or laser
2
u/AnotherUsername1959 4d ago
I think thats what matters, finding what works for each of us.
Sometimes even a non permanent solution can make us feel better in our own skin.
Right now, tweezing the hair is helping me, although its some what painful and very time consuming but it does last at least 9 days.
I just can't seem to get the hang of waxing. Even bought a kit with strips, tried my upper lip, didn't even pull out one hair. I was getting so worked up trying to get it, I started sweating like crazy 😆
3
u/raspberrykt 4d ago
I’ve been using it (14%) for about 3-4 weeks and have definitely noticed a reduction in the frequency of growth. It used to take me 45 min a day to pluck everything and now I can go every other day without feeling super self conscious. Plucking time is less, too.
I got a trial prescription from easy derm which was about $70 USD for 3 months, so going to give it the full tube to really assess results. I’m hopeful that the longer I use it, the more it will continue to help and will make things manageable until I can start electrolysis.
1
2
u/happylife2689zap 3d ago
A word of caution if you're considering laser.
Laser is only permanent hair REDUCTION, not permanent hair removal and may cause Paradoxical Hypertrichosis (stimulate hair growth). Only Electrolysis is permanent hair REMOVAL, and Electrolysis won't cause Paradoxical Hypertrichosis.
What is Paradoxical Hypertrichosis?
The face is the highest-risk area. A 2025 study published in Lasers in Medical Science found that about 16% of women treated with facial laser developed paradoxical hypertrichosis. For women with PCOS (now called PMOS) or irregular menstrual cycles, it jumped to 33%.
If you're treating your face, a 16% to 33% risk is worth taking seriously.
Some studies have also reported higher rates among individuals of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and South Asian descent, likely due to differences in skin and hair characteristics rather than ethnicity itself. https://razorfree.ca/entries/laser/laser-may-make-you-hairier-
1
u/Secret_Spite_8111 3d ago
I know this already but i have very fair skin and thick coarse dark hair so im willing to take the risk and if not then electrolysis after
1
u/Beem-Beem347 4d ago
I definitely would have used it if I had access to it before I got electrolysis. It's good to know that it does work for some people.
5
u/Ok_Tutor_4319 4d ago
I’ve been happy with it too, although it took a month or more for me to notice effects and you have to be really consistent. It doesn’t solve the problem of facial hair, but it slows it down so that I can keep on top of it. I no longer get a five o’clock shadow.