Vaniqa 11.5% Cream 60g

Female Facial Hair Doctor Service

Vaniqa 11.5 is an alternative treatment that can be prescribed to both premenopausal women and menopausal women (women who have started the menopause).

Vaniqa is not recommended for use in anyone younger than 18 years of age.

You May Be Prescribed This Treatment If:

• You have mild excess hair growth on your face
• Hair-removal treatments alone are not effective
• Vaniqa can be applied thinly to your face twice a day to slow hair growth
• It should be thoroughly rubbed in and you can still wear make-up after application
• You should not wash your face for at least four hours after applying the cream

Vaniqa contains the active substance eflornithine. Eflornithine slows down the growth of hair through its effect on a specific enzyme (a protein in the body involved in the production of hair).

Vaniqa is used to reduce the growth of excessive hair (Hirsutism) on the face of women older than 18 years of age.

• The cream acts on your hair follicles to prevent hair growth
• You should notice an effect within six to eight weeks, if no benefit is seen after four months, treatment should be stopped
• If the treatment works you will need to continue using it, as hair growth will return around eight weeks if you discontinue use

Vaniqa can be a simple and long-lasting solution to the problem of excessive and thick, unwanted facial hair. It generally takes between eight weeks and four months to have noticeable effects and is applied twice a day to the affected areas.

Vaniqa Cream

• The treatment contains the ingredient eflornithine 11.5%.
• It is a prescription-only medicine in the UK and is only licensed for use on the face.

How Does Vaniqa work?
Eflornithine penetrates to the base of the hair follicle and reduces new growth by acting on an enzyme that plays a part in hair growth.

How Soon Does Vaniqa Work?
Because of the cycle of hair growth, it will usually take between 2-4 months for you to see the benefits of the treatment. If there are no results after this time period, you should discontinue use of Vaniqa.

Are There Other Options To Vaniqa?
If Vaniqa doesn’t sound like it’s for you, there are other treatments available to combat excessive hair growth on your face. These include hair removal techniques such as shaving, waxing, epilation, electrolysis, laser treatment or bleaching. Sometimes weight can be a factor in having excessive hair growth, and so weight loss can sometimes help reduce facial hair. In women who haven’t yet reached menopause, the contraceptive pill can be effective in helping manage excessive facial hair.

Where Can I Use Vaniqa Cream?
Vaniqa cream can be applied to face and areas just under the chin.

Can I Still Shave Or Puck Hair Whilst Using Vaniqa Cream?
Yes, you can however ensure you apply the cream after hair removal and leave at least a 5 minute gap to prevent stinging.

Can I Apply Make-up Whilst Using Vaniqa Cream?
Yes, you can you should apply the cream wait 5 minutes and then continue on with your make up regime.

Like all medicines,  Vaniqa can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Side effects are usually limited to the skin and mild in intensity. In such cases they normally resolve without discontinuation of Vaniqa.

The frequency of possible side effects listed below:

Very common (affects more than 1 user in 10)

• acne

Common (affects 1 to 10 users in 100)

• dry skin hair loss
• inflammation around the hair shaft
• itching
• rash
• redness
• skin irritation and bumps caused by shaving
• skin irritation
• stinging, tingling or burning feeling on the skin

Uncommon (affects 1 to 10 users in 1,000)

• bumpy rash (papular rash)
• cold sores
• redness and irritation at the site where the cream is applied
• eczema
• inflammed, dry, cracked or numb lips
• ingrowing hairs
• pale areas on the skin

For a full list of side effects, read the Patient Information Leaflet.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, our Rightdose pharmacists or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.

You can help to make medicines safer by reporting any side-effects to the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

Patient Information Leaflet Vaniqa 11.5% Cream 60g

Children and adolescents

• Vaniqa is not recommended for use in anyone younger than 18 years of age.

Other medicines and Vaniqa

• Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.

Talk to your doctor if you need to use other medicines on the areas of skin where you are using the cream.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

• Do not use Vaniqa if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. You should use an alternative method to manage your facial hair if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.

Driving and using machines

• Vaniqa is not expected to have any effect on your ability to drive or use machines.

How to use Vaniqa

Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Use twice a day, at least 8 hours apart.

• If you experience irritation (e.g. stinging burning), reduce the use of Vaniqa to once daily until the irritation has gone. If it persists contact your doctor.
• If you have just shaved or used any other hair removal method, wait at least 5 minute sbefore using Vaniqa. It may sting or burn if you put this cream on cut or irritated skin.

Clean and dry the areas of the skin where you will be using the cream.

• Apply a thin layer of cream and rub it in thoroughly until no visual residual product remains on the treated areas. If possible, do not wash these areas of skin for 4 hours after applying the cream
• Wash your hands after applying the cream.

Wait at least 5 minute s before using make-up or sunscreen on the same areas.

When using on the face, avoid contact with your eyes or the inside of your nose or mouth. If you should accidentally get Vaniqa into your eyes, mouth or nose, rinse well with water.

Vaniqa is not a depilatory cream, so you may need to continue with your hair removal method, for example by shaving or plucking. It may take 8 weeks before you see results.

• It is important to continue using the cream. If you do not see any improvement after using it for 4 months contact your doctor.
• If you stop using it your original hair growth may return within 8 weeks.

If you use more Vaniqa than you should

• If you put too much cream on your skin, it is unlikely to harm you.
• If you or anyone else accidentally swallows Vaniqa, contact your doctor immediately.

If you forget to use Vaniqa

Apply straight away, but wait at least 8 hours before using it again.

If you stop using Vaniqa

To maintain the reduction of hair growth keep using Vaniqa continuously as indicated. If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Warnings and pre cautions

Talk to your doctor of pharmacist before using Vaniqa.

Tell your doctor of any other medical problems you may be experiencing (especially related to your kidneys or liver).

• if you are unsure whether or not to use this medicine contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Excessive growth of hair may be a result of underlying diseases. Talk to your doctor if you suffer frompolycystic ovary syndrome (P COS) or specific hormone producing tumours, or if you take medicines that can induce hair growth, e.g. cyclosporine (following organ transplants), glucocorticoids (e.g. against rheumatic or allergic diseases), minoxidil (against high blood pressure), phenobarbitone(against seizures), phenytoin (against seizures) or hormone replacement therapy with male hormone like effects.

Ingredients:

Vaniqa contains cetostearyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol which may cause local skin reactions (e.g. contact dermatitis).

Vaniqa also contains methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218) and propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216) which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed).