Please be aware that the content of this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition, and it should not replace the advice of a qualified healthcare professional. It is highly recommended that you consult with a licensed healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health.
Prescriptions: Quite Possibly this Century’s Answer to Hair Removal
In a society that is obsessed with conforming to the "correct" aesthetic codes, pills that miraculously "cure" any imperfections are saturating the pharmacy shelves. Pills that can make you slim, pills that can stave off baldness, and pills that can eradicate acne are readily available.
In a culture where having smooth bodies and faces has become synonymous with beauty, the hair removal industry is highly competitive and it was almost inevitable that the day would arrive when there would be pills available to help remove unwanted hair from our bodies. And they do make sense.
Why mess around with painful, lengthy, expensive, and messy ways to remove unwanted hair from the body when you can simply take a pill once a day and achieve arguably better results?
How prescription oral medications are an effective method of hair removal
There has been a lot of dedication and research carried out to understand how prescription drugs can influence the hair on our bodies. Many such medications, which have been tried and tested, have shown encouraging results, and in most cases, they have significantly reduced hair growth and in some cases have even stopped hair from growing on the skin.
Although taking such prescriptions as a means to curb hair growth on our bodies is deemed to be a safe and effective method of hair removal, as with all medications, due to the possible side effects, it is essential that you consult the advice of a doctor before you start taking prescription oral hair removal pills or creams.
Oral Prescriptions versus prescription creams
Prescriptions to aid hair removal are not limited to tablet form and are also available in creams. "Taking a pill" is less time-consuming, less messy, and more convenient, although for those who do not like the thought of ingesting hair removal drugs orally, or cannot swallow pills, medication creams may be a more desirable option.
The advantages of oral prescriptions as a method to control excess facial and body hair
The fact that taking pills is completely painless has to be a welcome change to many of the other eye-watering, knuckle-clenching methods of hair removal. While most hair removal treatments are only temporary, oral prescription drugs can permanently stop facial and body hair from growing.
Another big advantage of this method of hair removal is that there is no mess involved and there is no need for any equipment. All that is required is the medication and a glass of water! Oral prescription hair removal pills are indisputably the least time-consuming of the hair removal methods.
Aside from the initial consultation with a doctor, taking a pill each day only takes seconds - a stark contrast to wrestling with razors and waxing strips or sitting in a salon waiting room for hours.
While other so-called "permanent" methods of hair removal are limited in their capabilities of what color and texture of hair they can remove, prescription medications are less discriminating on such issues and are capable of removing all colors and textures of body and facial hair.
The disadvantages of hair removal prescriptions
Unwanted side effects are the biggest drawback of prescriptions as a method of removing unwanted body hair. These side effects vary from drug to drug and from each individual taking the medication. Some prescription pills and creams can cause irritation and redness of the skin, while others can affect the menstrual cycles of women. Moods can also be affected by some prescription drugs.
To minimize the chances of any side effects, be sure to inform your doctor of any allergies you may have or any other medications you are taking, as this will influence the doctor's decision of which drug to prescribe to you. Another disadvantage of prescription hair removal medications is that it does not work "overnight" and it can take time for your body to adjust to the chemicals and for the drugs to start working. An alternative hair removal method is therefore usually required before the medication starts to "take effect".
Continue reading ...
Previous page
Because of the ambiguous nature of hair removal prescriptions, which can vary greatly between individuals, it is fairly difficult to assess the effectiveness of such medications. One researcher reported that there were a high number of "false positives" being given by doctors assessing patients taking Vaniqa, the popular hair removal prescription cream.
The different types of medications which are known to reduce hair growth
Vaniqa:
Vaniqa is a popular prescription cream that effectively reduces the growth of unwanted hair on the face and body in women. It is the only prescription product that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a way of curbing and preventing excessive hair growth on the skin.
What makes Vaniqa so effective is that it not only removes the hair but it also slows the growth down considerably. Many women have reported seeing positive results in as little as four weeks while using Vaniqa.
Spironolactone:
The best-known drug for treating excessive body hair in the US is called Spironolactone, otherwise known as Aldactone. The drug is regularly prescribed to patients suffering from a condition known as hirsutism.
Hirsutism affects women and is when abnormally excessive amounts of hair grow in conventionally "male" places, like on the upper lip and chin. The properties found in Spironolactone impede the production of testosterone in the body, by increasing the metabolism of any testosterone that the female produces.
Long-term use of spironolactone encourages the production of dihydrotestosterone, the hormone responsible for male pattern baldness. There are no side effects of this type of hair-controlling drug, although it is advised not to be taken during pregnancy or by women who have a family history of breast cancer.
Flutamide:
Flutamide is considered to be an effective drug in hindering the growth of excess body and facial hair. It works by attaching itself to the androgen receptors found on the cells of hair follicles, which then prevents the androgens from fueling hair growth. Unlike Spironolactone, Flutamide can cause many unwanted side effects in some people.
According to the FDA, approximately 3 out of 10,000 Flutamide users end up getting hepatotoxicity from the drug. Symptoms of hepatotoxicity include fatigue, jaundice, nausea, and vomiting.
Finasteride:
Finasteride, otherwise known as Propecia or Proscar, works by blocking the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, the hormone that stimulates growth in hair follicles on the body that contain androgen receptors. By disabling this conversion, it prevents excessive growth of hair on the face and body.
Finasteride is a popular and safe drug to help control and curb people suffering from excessive facial hair with few known side effects. Although it is also advised not to be used by pregnant women, as the most significant side effect of this drug is that it causes male fetuses to develop female genitalia.
Ketoconazole:
This is a relatively new drug used to control excessive hair growth on the body and conditions like hirsutism. It works by stopping the production of hormones from the adrenal glands and the ovaries.
Although Ketoconazole is proven to be an effective drug to inhibit the growth of hair on the face and body, many doctors and dermatologists are cautious of using it on a regular basis because of its potential side effects, primarily the risk of hepatotoxicity.
Please be aware that the information presented in this article is for informative purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The content of this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition, and it should not replace the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.
©Hairfinder.com
