Vaniqa

Generic name: Eflornithine Topical
Drug class: Miscellaneous topical agents

Usage of Vaniqa

Vaniqa interferes with a chemical in hair follicles under the skin, which slows hair growth where the medicine is applied.

Vaniqa cream is used to reduce unwanted facial hair in women.

Vaniqa cream does not permanently remove facial hair or prevent hair growth.

Vaniqa side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic Reaction to Vaniqa cream : hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using Eflornithine and call your doctor at once if you have:

severe irritation of treated skin; or

redness or crusting around your hair follicles.

Common Vaniqa side effects may include:

temporary redness, rash, burning, stinging, itching, or tingling;

acne or red bumps on the skin;

skin dryness; or

headache.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Vaniqa

You should not use Vaniqa cream if you have had an allergic reaction to eflornithine in the past.

It is not known whether Vaniqa cream will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known whether Eflornithine topical passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Vaniqa is not approved for use by anyone younger than 12 years old.

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How to use Vaniqa

Usual Adult Dose for Hirsutism:

Apply a thin layer of Vaniqa cream to affected areas of the face and adjacent involved areas under the chin and rub in thoroughly. Do not wash treated area for at least 4 hours. Use twice a day, allowing at least 8 hours between applications or as directed by a physician. Continue to use hair removal techniques as needed in conjunction with eflornithine. Apply eflornithine at least 5 minutes after hair removal. Cosmetics or sunscreens may be applied over treated areas after cream has dried.

Warnings

Vaniqa cream is for external use only.

Continue to use Vaniqa even if you do not see immediate results. Reduction in facial hair occurs gradually. Improvement may be seen as early as 4 to 8 weeks of treatment, however it may take longer in some individuals. If no improvement is seen after 6 months of use, treatment should be discontinued. Hair growth may return to pretreatment levels approximately 8 weeks after discontinuation of treatment.

Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.

What other drugs will affect Vaniqa

It is not likely that other drugs you take orally or inject will have an effect on topically applied Vaniqa cream. But many drugs can interact with each other. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

Disclaimer

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