Overview:
Eflornithine is a prescription medication applied to the skin to decrease unwanted facial hair in females. It interacts with an enzyme seen in the skin hair follicle needed for hair growth. This results in delayed hair growth and an improved appearance when applying Eflornithine hydrochloride.
How Does Eflornithine Hydrochloride Work?
Eflornithine hydrochloride works by inhibiting an enzyme in hair follicles on the skin that is necessary for hair growth. This results in slower hair growth and a more aesthetically pleasing appearance when applying Eflornithine hydrochloride. While it can help control unwanted facial hair and enhance appearance, it is not a permanent solution. It is recommended to continue using your current hair removal method while using Eflornithine hydrochloride. The effects of Eflornithine hydrochloride may take several weeks to become apparent, with some individuals seeing improvement as early as four to eight weeks into treatment. If no improvement is noticed after six months of use, it is recommended to stop using the product. Clinical investigations have shown that after quitting Eflornithine hydrochloride, hair will return to its prior state within about eight weeks.
Indications and Usage:
Eflornithine hydrochloride cream is a medication specifically designed to reduce the appearance of unwanted facial hair in women. It has only been tested and proven effective on the face and the area under the chin and should only be used on these areas.
Contraindications:
Eflornithine hydrochloride should not be used by individuals who have previously experienced an allergic reaction to any of its ingredients.
Warnings:
Stop using Eflornithine hydrochloride if hypersensitivity appears.
Dosage and Administration:
To use Eflornithine hydrochloride, apply a thin layer to the affected regions of the face and the region under the chin, and rub it in well. Do not rinse or clean the treated region for at least four hours following application. The medicine should be used two times every day, at least eight hours apart, or as suggested by a doctor. It is important to continue using the usual hair removal methods with Eflornithine hydrochloride, applying the medication at least five minutes after hair removal. After the cream has dried, applying cosmetics or sunscreens to the treated areas is fine.
Precautions
General:
For External Use Only - It is possible to experience the transient stinging or burning feeling when Eflornithine hydrochloride is applied to damaged skin or broken skin.
For Patients:
What Is Hirsutism?
Hirsutism is a condition that induces excessive growth of dark, rough hair in a way similar to that of males, such as on the face, chest, and back, in women. This excess hair growth is often the result of an excess of male hormones, particularly testosterone.
What Should Be Informed to the Doctor Before Using Eflornithine Hydrochloride Cream?
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In case of an allergy to any of the components in Eflornithine hydrochloride, inform the doctor.
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If the patient is presently pregnant or plans to become pregnant, talk to the doctor about using Eflornithine hydrochloride during pregnancy, as there have been no clinical examinations conducted on pregnant females.
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Also, if breastfeeding, consult the doctor before using Eflornithine hydrochloride, as it is not known if the medicine is passed to infants via breast milk.
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If taking any prescription medications, non-prescription medications, facial creams, or skin creams, review with the physician before utilizing Eflornithine hydrochloride cream.
How Should Eflornithine Hydrochloride Cream Be Used?
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Only use Eflornithine hydrochloride for the specific condition as the doctor prescribed. Do not share the medication or allow others to use it. The patient should continue their usual hair removal procedures until they have achieved the desired results. After using Eflornithine hydrochloride, the patient may be less bothered by the time or frequency of hair removal. Use Eflornithine hydrochloride twice daily, at least eight hours apart, or as suggested by the doctor. Eflornithine hydrochloride is for external use only.
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To use Eflornithine hydrochloride, carefully follow the instructions provided. Apply a thin coating of the medicine to the affected regions of the face, involving the regions under the chin, and rub it in entirely. Do not clean the treated regions for at least four hours following the application.
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Eflornithine hydrochloride may cause temporary irritation, such as redness, rash, burning, or tingling, especially if the skin is damaged. If the irritation continues, stop using the medicine and consult a doctor.
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Avoid getting the medication in the eyes, nose, or mouth. If it gets into the eyes, flush them with water and seek medical attention.
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In case of a forgotten dose, use Eflornithine hydrochloride or miss a dose, do not try to compensate by using more of it. Just resume the normal schedule as soon as possible.
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The patient can use normal cosmetics or sunscreen after applying Eflornithine hydrochloride, but allow a few minutes for the medication to be absorbed before applying them. If the condition worsens, use Eflornithine hydrochloride, stop using the medication, and contact a doctor.
What Are the Side Effects of Eflornithine Hydrochloride Cream?
Eflornithine hydrochloride cream may cause temporary irritation, such as redness, stinging, burning, tingling, or rash on the skin where it is applied. It may also cause folliculitis or hair bumps. If these symptoms persist, consult a doctor.
How Should Eflornithine Hydrochloride Cream Be Stored?
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Eflornithine hydrochloride cream should be stored at a temperature between 15°C and 30°C. Do not allow it to freeze.
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Keep Eflornithine hydrochloride cream and all medications out of the reach of children.
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This medication has been prescribed specifically for certain conditions. Do not use it for other purposes or give it to anyone else.
This information does not cover all aspects of Eflornithine hydrochloride cream. It is important to carefully discuss the medication with the doctor or healthcare professional.
What Side Effects Can This Medication Cause?
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Eflornithine may induce several side effects, including stinging or tingling of the skin, redness, rash, acne, and swollen patches of skin that are reddened and have buried hair.
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While these side effects may be mild or moderate, it is important to inform the doctor if they are severe or persist. In rare cases, Eflornithine may cause severe skin irritation, which requires immediate medical attention.
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If any unusual symptoms are experienced while taking Eflornithine, it is important to contact the doctor.
For Doctors:
Clinical Pharmacology:
Pharmacodynamics - No study on topical Eflornithine's effects on the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in human skin is available. However, in previous studies, oral Eflornithine has been shown to inhibit ODC activity in the skin. It is believed that topical Eflornithine hydrochloride can irreversibly inhibit ODC activity in the skin. This enzyme is needed for the synthesis of polyamines. Its inhibition has been shown to affect cell division and synthetic functions in animals, leading to a slower rate of hair growth. The use of Eflornithine has been demonstrated to slow the rate of hair growth in non-clinical and clinical analyses.
Pharmacokinetics - Eflornithine cream, applied twice daily at a dose of one gram per day, is absorbed poorly through the skin with an absorption rate of less than one percent of the applied dose. When applied to the skin of women with unwanted facial hair, Eflornithine reaches a steady state within four days of twice-daily use. The half-life of Eflornithine in the blood is approximately eight hours. At steady state, the highest concentration of Eflornithine in the blood (Cmax) and the total daily exposure to the drug (AUC) are approximately 10 ng per mL and 92 ng per hour per mL, respectively, when applied as a cream. These values are approximately 100 and 60-fold lower, respectively, compared to oral doses of 370 mg/day. Eflornithine is not metabolized in the body and is primarily excreted unchanged in the urine.
Information for Patients:
Patients using Eflornithine hydrochloride cream should be aware of the following:
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Eflornithine cream does not remove hair but instead slows down hair growth to improve the appearance of the affected area.
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Patients will likely need to continue using other hair removal methods, like shaving with the cream.
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Improvement may be seen after four to eight weeks of treatment, as seen in clinical trials lasting 24 weeks.
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The condition might return to pretreatment levels following therapy is stopped after eight weeks.
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If skin irritation happens during therapy, the frequency of application may be temporarily decreased to once a day. If irritation continues, the patient should stop utilizing the product.
Drug Interactions:
There is no information on the potential for interaction between Eflornithine hydrochloride cream and other topical medications.
Adverse Reactions:
The frequency of adverse events reported in the Eflornithine and vehicle control groups was similar in clinical studies. The most common adverse events related to the use of Eflornithine were skin-related. Less than one percent of subjects treated with Eflornithine experienced treatment-related skin adverse events such as bleeding, cheilitis, contact dermatitis, swelling of the lips, herpes simplex, numbness, or rosacea. These events were generally mild in intensity and resolved without medical treatment or discontinuation of the medication.
Clinical Trials:
Two double-blinded studies were randomized and includes 594 females. Among these 393 females were treated with Eflornithine and 201 were treated with another vehicle. The patients were treated for 24 weeks and given Eflornithine twice a day to evaluate the efficacy of Eflornithine in the reduction of unwanted hairs. The women who were enrolled had two or more times of frequencies of removing the unwanted facial hair in a week. The women who were pregnant had acne, or were breastfeeding were not included in the clinical trials. The physicians check the case after 48 hours of shaving. And there was an improvement in the Eflornithine cases than the vehicle cases. Although after 8 weeks of treatment, the improvement was seen, which remained continued up to 24 weeks of treatment. The treatment reached pretreatment levels within 8 weeks of withdrawal. And nearly 32 % of patients have shown improvement after using Eflornithine for 24 weeks in comparison to the vehicle which showed an 8 % result.
Results: The results have presented a marked improvement of nearly 27 % with Eflornithine than the vehicle being 8 %. And cases with no improvement was 42 % with Eflornithine than with vehicle being 66 %. It was observed that Eflornithine was seen as more beneficial for the White population than non-White. And about 12 % of the female patients who enrolled were at the postmenopausal stage and 38 % among these have shown improvement. Although the results were seen after the 8 weeks of the treatment. And the overall results regarding the use of Eflornithine in 1370 females who were bothered by unwanted facial hair of skin includes type I to IV and involves 68 % White population of female, 11 % Latino, and 2 % Asian with 0.6 % Americans and the remaining 1.3 % other populations.
