How to Stop Hair Growth on a Woman’s Face: What Really Works

Short answer: You can’t switch facial hair off for good, but you can slow it down and reduce it a lot. The best-supported options are prescription eflornithine cream (slows growth while you use it), laser hair removal (works best on dark hair), electrolysis (can be permanent, works on any color) and, if hormones are the cause, the birth control pill with or without an anti-androgen. Hair removal creams from the drugstore remove hair but don’t stop it growing back.

Facial hair is one of the most visible signs of hirsutism, and many women want more than a daily routine of shaving or plucking. The options can be confusing because “stop,” “remove” and “reduce” get used as if they mean the same thing. They don’t. This overview explains what each treatment actually does, how good the evidence is, and how to combine them.

Whether and how you remove facial hair is your choice. Nothing here is a requirement.

Facial hair treatments at a glance

Option	What it does	Evidence	Main drawbacks
Eflornithine cream (prescription)	Slows growth while you use it	Strong	Hair returns about 8 weeks after stopping; limited availability[1][2]
Laser or light-based hair removal	Reduces hair for months or years	Strong	Not permanent on women’s faces; poor on light hair[3][4]
Electrolysis	Destroys individual follicles	Moderate	Many sessions; can sting[4]
Combined birth control pill	Lowers androgen effects, slows new growth	Strong	Takes 6 months or more[5][6]
Anti-androgens (such as spironolactone)	Block androgen action	Moderate	Must use reliable contraception[5][7]
Shaving, plucking, waxing, threading, creams, bleaching	Remove or hide hair temporarily	Strong (short term)	Must be repeated[5][6]
Spearmint and other natural remedies	Unclear	Limited	No proven effect on hair[8]

Step 1: Find out why the hair is growing

Coarse facial hair in women is usually driven by androgens such as testosterone.^[9] The most common cause is PMOS (polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome), previously called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In a study of 950 women referred to specialist clinics, it accounted for 72%. Other causes included non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (4.3%) and, rarely, androgen-producing tumors (0.2%). About 1 in 4 had no identifiable cause.^[10] Medicines and conditions such as Cushing’s syndrome can also play a role.^[9] See what causes hirsutism for details.

The Endocrine Society suggests testing androgen levels in women with an abnormal hirsutism score, but not in women with regular periods who only have some unwanted hair in one area.^[5] Start with our hirsutism self-check and read about the tests used to diagnose hirsutism. Treating an underlying cause matters because it affects which medicines make sense and because PMOS has health effects beyond hair.^[11]

Is there a cream to stop hair growth on the face?

Yes, but only one with good evidence, and it slows hair rather than stopping it permanently. Regular drugstore hair removal creams are a different thing: they dissolve hair at the surface and do nothing to the follicle.^[4]

Eflornithine 11.5% cream (Vaniqa)

Evidence: Strong Eflornithine is a prescription cream licensed to treat facial hirsutism in women. It works by slowing the growth of cells in the hair follicle, so hair grows back more slowly. It is not a hair remover, so you keep shaving or plucking alongside it.^[1][12] In Europe it is labeled as eflornithine 11.5%, while US trials described the same cream as eflornithine hydrochloride 13.9%.^[1][13]

What the trials show. In two double-blind randomized trials with 596 women treated for up to 24 weeks, 35% of women using eflornithine had marked improvement or better, compared with 9% using a cream without the active drug. The effect was smaller in non-white women (27%) than in white women (39%).^[1]

How it is used. According to the product information, a thin layer goes on the face and under the chin twice a day, at least 8 hours apart. Improvement may show within 8 weeks. If there is no benefit after 4 months, it should be stopped. Wait at least 5 minutes after shaving or plucking before applying it to avoid stinging.^[1] Follow your prescriber’s instructions.

What happens when you stop. Hair can return to its previous level within about 8 weeks, so the benefit lasts only as long as you use it.^[1]

Side effects and safety. Acne is very common. Other common effects include ingrown hairs (pseudofolliculitis), stinging, burning, dryness, itching, redness and rash, usually mild. There are too few data in pregnancy, so women who are pregnant or planning pregnancy should use another method, and it should not be used while breastfeeding.^[1]

Eflornithine plus laser

Evidence: Moderate Two randomized trials compared laser plus eflornithine with laser plus a cream without the drug, each treating one side of the face with each cream. In 31 women having upper lip laser every 4 weeks, 93.5% of eflornithine-treated sides reached complete or almost complete hair removal after up to 6 sessions, versus 67.9% of placebo sides.^[13] In a second trial of 54 women, eflornithine sped up hair reduction during weeks 6 to 22, but by week 34 objective differences had disappeared. Women still preferred the eflornithine side.^[12] So the combination seems to work faster, but it is not clear that it gives a better final result.

Can you still get eflornithine?

Availability has changed. In the United States, the FDA lists Vaniqa as discontinued, with no approved generic listed.^[2] In the European Union, it remains authorized.^[14] In the UK, the NHS lists eflornithine cream as a prescription option a GP may suggest.^[9] Supply varies by country and over time, so ask your doctor or pharmacist what is available where you live.

Laser and light-based hair removal

Evidence: Strong For most women who want longer-lasting hair removal, the Endocrine Society suggests laser or other light-based treatment (photoepilation).^[5] A Cochrane review of 11 randomized trials found about 50% hair reduction up to six months after alexandrite and diode laser, with little evidence for intense pulsed light (IPL). Long-term results were not documented, and none of the trials were high quality.^[15]

• Permanence: On a woman’s face, laser is usually not permanent because of hormones. Plan for maintenance sessions.^[3]
• Sessions: Most people need 2 to 6 treatments spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart, with about 10% to 25% reduction after the first.^[16]
• Hair color: Laser works best on dark hair and does not work well on blonde, white, gray or red hair.^[4]
• Skin tone: Some lasers carry a higher risk of skin darkening or lightening, blistering and inflammation in darker skin, so an experienced provider and the right device matter.^[6][16]
• Paradoxical growth: About 3% of people develop more hair in or near treated areas, nearly always on the face or neck.^[17]
• At-home devices: They need longer use and periodic maintenance.^[4]

Read our full guide to laser, IPL and electrolysis.

Electrolysis

Evidence: Moderate Electrolysis passes an electrical current into each follicle to stop it growing. It works on all hair colors, including gray and blonde, and can be permanent, but it takes several sessions and can sting. Choose a board-certified dermatologist or electrologist: unsterile probes can cause infection, and inexperienced treatment can cause scarring, burns and, in darker skin, keloid scars.^[4] The Endocrine Society includes electrolysis among direct hair removal methods.^[5]

Medication that treats hormone-driven hair

Evidence: Strong If your facial hair is part of hirsutism, the Endocrine Society suggests a combined estrogen-progestin birth control pill for most women, then adding an anti-androgen after 6 months if the response is not good enough. It recommends against anti-androgens alone without adequate contraception, and against insulin-lowering drugs such as metformin for hirsutism.^[5]

• Spironolactone is the most commonly used anti-androgen.^[6] In a Cochrane review, 100 mg a day reduced Ferriman-Gallwey scores more than placebo, but the evidence was low quality.^[7] Anti-androgens can cause birth defects, so reliable contraception is essential.^[6]
• Metformin showed no benefit over placebo for hirsutism scores in the same review.^[7]
• Timing: Hormonal medicines often take 6 months or longer to work, and they slow new growth rather than removing existing hair.^[6]

Medication and hair removal work well together: the Endocrine Society suggests adding laser or electrolysis for women who want more improvement than medication gives.^[5] See our guide to hirsutism medication.

Temporary methods

Evidence: Strong Shaving, plucking and waxing are standard cosmetic measures in the Endocrine Society guideline.^[5] They don’t stop growth, but they are cheap and safe and many women use them alongside the treatments above.

• Shaving is quick and doesn’t make hair thicker, darker or faster-growing.^[18] See shaving your face as a woman.
• Plucking suits a few stray hairs only.^[6]
• Threading lasts 4 to 5 weeks and suits sensitive or acne-prone skin. Waxing lasts a few weeks or longer. Avoid waxing if you use isotretinoin, tretinoin or an antibiotic.^[4]
• Hair removal creams dissolve hair and last a little longer than shaving. Patch test first and wait 24 hours.^[4] Pick a product made for the face and never leave it on longer than the label says.
• Bleaching lightens hair and works best on lighter skin. It can irritate, so test it first.^[6]

Natural remedies and lifestyle

Evidence: Limited Many natural remedies are promoted for facial hair, but very few have been tested on hair outcomes. The best-known is spearmint tea: in one 30-day trial of 42 women with PCOS, it lowered testosterone, but doctors’ hirsutism scores did not change significantly.^[8] Read our review of natural remedies for hirsutism. If you are overweight, losing weight can help control hormone levels.^[9]

When to see a doctor

• Your facial hair is coarse, dark and spreading, or appears on your chest, stomach or back too
• You have irregular or missing periods, acne or scalp hair thinning
• Hair growth started suddenly or is getting worse within months
• Your voice is deepening, your muscles are getting bigger or your clitoris is enlarged

The NHS advises an urgent appointment for sudden new thick hair, a deepening voice or bigger muscles.^[9] Rapidly worsening hirsutism should be checked for a rare androgen-producing tumor.^[11][19]

Frequently asked questions

Can facial hair growth in women be stopped permanently?

Electrolysis can permanently destroy individual follicles.^[4] Laser greatly reduces hair, but on women’s faces it usually needs maintenance.^[3] If hormones are driving the growth, new hairs can keep developing unless the cause is treated.^[5]

Is there an over-the-counter cream that stops facial hair?

No over-the-counter cream has been shown to stop growth. Depilatory creams only remove hair at the surface.^[4] The cream with trial evidence, eflornithine, is prescription-only.^[1] See also over-the-counter anti-androgens.

How long does Vaniqa take to work?

Improvement may show within 8 weeks. If there is no benefit after 4 months, it should be stopped.^[1]

Can I use eflornithine with laser?

Yes. Two randomized trials found the combination safe and faster than laser alone, though one found no difference in objective results by 34 weeks.^[13][12]

Key takeaways

• No treatment switches facial hair off for good, but several slow or reduce it substantially.
• Eflornithine cream has good trial evidence for slowing facial hair, but it only works while you use it, and it is discontinued in the US.
• Laser is the guideline-preferred hair removal method for dark hair. Electrolysis works on any color and can be permanent.
• If hormones such as those in PMOS (formerly PCOS) are the cause, the pill with or without an anti-androgen slows new growth over 6 months or more.
• Sudden or rapidly worsening facial hair needs a prompt medical check.

Sources

1. European Medicines Agency. Vaniqa: EPAR, summary of product characteristics. Accessed October 2026. Link
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Drugs@FDA: Vaniqa (eflornithine hydrochloride) cream, NDA 021145. Accessed October 2026. Link
3. American Academy of Dermatology. Laser hair removal: Overview. Accessed October 2026. Link
4. American Academy of Dermatology. 7 ways to remove unwanted hair. Accessed October 2026. Link
5. Martin KA, Anderson RR, Chang RJ, et al. Evaluation and Treatment of Hirsutism in Premenopausal Women: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;103(4):1233-1257. PubMed 29522147
6. Mayo Clinic. Hirsutism: Diagnosis and treatment. Accessed October 2026. Link
7. van Zuuren EJ, Fedorowicz Z, Carter B, Pandis N. Interventions for hirsutism (excluding laser and photoepilation therapy alone). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(4):CD010334. PubMed 25918921
8. Grant P. Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. A randomized controlled trial. Phytother Res. 2010;24(2):186-188. PubMed 19585478
9. NHS. Hirsutism. Accessed October 2026. Link
10. Carmina E, Rosato F, Jannì A, Rizzo M, Longo RA. Extensive clinical experience: relative prevalence of different androgen excess disorders in 950 women referred because of clinical hyperandrogenism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(1):2-6. PubMed 16263820
11. Teede HJ, Tay CT, Laven JJE, et al. Recommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023;108(10):2447-2469. PubMed 37580314
12. Smith SR, Piacquadio DJ, Beger B, Littler C. Eflornithine cream combined with laser therapy in the management of unwanted facial hair growth in women: a randomized trial. Dermatol Surg. 2006;32(10):1237-1243. PubMed 17034372
13. Hamzavi I, Tan E, Shapiro J, Lui H. A randomized bilateral vehicle-controlled study of eflornithine cream combined with laser treatment versus laser treatment alone for facial hirsutism in women. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007;57(1):54-59. PubMed 17270315
14. European Medicines Agency. Vaniqa (eflornithine): EPAR overview and authorisation details. Accessed October 2026. Link
15. Haedersdal M, Gøtzsche PC. Laser and photoepilation for unwanted hair growth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;(4):CD004684. PubMed 17054211
16. American Academy of Dermatology. Laser hair removal: FAQs. Accessed October 2026. Link
17. Snast I, Kaftory R, Lapidoth M, Levi A. Paradoxical Hypertrichosis Associated with Laser and Light Therapy for Hair Removal: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2021;22(5):615-624. PubMed 34057666
18. Mayo Clinic. Shaving hair: Does shaved hair grow back thicker? Accessed October 2026. Link
19. Elhassan YS, Hawley JM, Cussen L, et al. Society for Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation of Androgen Excess in Women. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2025;103(4):540-566. PubMed 40364581

This article is for education and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor about diagnosis and treatment.