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Spironolactone for Hirsutism User Reviews

Brand names: Aldactone, CaroSpir

Spironolactone has an average rating of 6.3 out of 10 from a total of 57 reviews for the treatment of Hirsutism. 47% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 30% reported a negative experience.

Spironolactone rating summary

6.3 average rating out of 10

57 ratings from 61 user reviews.

Compare all 7 medications used in the treatment of Hirsutism.

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25%
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18%
8
5%
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14%
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4%
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4%
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4%
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5%
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21%

Reviews for Spironolactone

  • Anonymous
  • September 26, 2008

"I have taken spironolactone for almost 3 years now and have been extremely pleased with its effect on my hirsutism. I used to bleach my facial hair regularly and had dark hair on my arms. Now the fine hair on my face is blonde and hardly noticeable, and the arm hair is very light and thinner."

9 / 10
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284 Report
  • Hou...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 27, 2017

"Started spiro 2 weeks ago. I am already noticing a huge difference in facial hair growth. I was plucking over 200 hairs a night and not getting even half the hair. The side effect of stomach ache has had some serious moments, but I'm told it will pass soon. The embarrassment of the facial hair and scarring from ingrown hairs has stopped me from socializing and made me a house mouse. I'm thrilled to see results after only 2 weeks and I'm confident time will continue to improve the condition."

10 / 10
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154 Report
  • Sar...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • December 22, 2019

"I’ve been using spironolactone for nearly a year now for facial hair. I started out at 25 mg. I increased to 50 mg and noticed the darkness going away. Increased to 100 mg and the coarseness has gone away. Now I’m taking 200 mg and it’s AMAZING! I’ve gone through electrolysis, laser, plucking, and now waxing. I was waxing every week, now I can go 2 weeks. Even the hair on my arms is lighter. I told my doctor it’s a miracle medication. I recommend everyone to try..."

10 / 10
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99 Report

Frequently asked questions

  • Anonymous
  • November 18, 2012

"My GYN put me on spironolactone to try and clear up my acne and excess body hair. My acne has gotten a little better, and I no longer have hair on my chin. I still have some hair on my abdomen and thighs, but I've only been on spironolactone for six months. So far, I think it's great."

10 / 10
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179 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • July 18, 2012

"I have been using this medicine for about 1 month. My doctor gave it to me for excessive facial hair. Since I have been taking it, I have noticed the hair grows slower and is lighter and not as coarse as before. But be patient, it takes a little while to see results and I believe it will get better with continued use. I did not experience any side effects with it. In fact, I also suffer from adult acne and have tried everything I could find to treat it, but I have had no new breakouts after a month and I am just thrilled with the results I am getting. I would recommend it to anyone with facial hair problems!"

8 / 10
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182 Report

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  • Kem...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • September 22, 2016

"I've been on spironolactone for full facial hair growth with thinning hair on my edges. I take 200 milligrams a day. One hundred in the morning and one in the evening. It did take about three months to work, but it significantly reduced the facial hair. I used to shave every day, but now I barely pluck a few hairs on my chin. The excessive sideburns are completely gone, and I no longer have to shave, and my edges are no longer thinning. They're full and continue to grow. I don't have the excessive peeing, but it does make me a little drowsy. I lost overall body weight, but the downside was most of it was muscle mass. I gained curvaceous hips, and my breasts grew a cup size or two. The only pill that has worked, and I've tried everything. Be patient."

10 / 10
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128 Report
  • Dan...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • April 29, 2020

"I am 25, 5 ft 4, and weigh 15 stone. I have PCOS, and the excess hair growth, with all things combined, has just been awful. My last resort was spironolactone. The first week or so, it definitely made me dizzy, especially when getting up, etc. I’ve been on this tablet for 3 and a half months now, and I can 100% see a difference. My once black facial hair is almost blonde now. I am on an 800-calorie diet and have lost 3 stone since starting this (was 17 stone). I believe the weight loss and the medication are helping this. I am really happy, to be honest."

9 / 10
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70 Report
  • Mat...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • April 19, 2019

"I started taking spironolactone about 10 months ago for PCOS, hirsutism, and to lower my free testosterone. It was at 11. Starting dosage 25mg twice daily for 4 months resulted in free testosterone lowering to 8.5. The doctor increased the dosage to 50mg twice daily for 6 months, and free testosterone is now at 7.9. I have noticed slightly less facial hair, clear and smooth facial skin (previously had orange peel skin), slightly less oily skin, and no weight gain. The doctor has increased the dosage to 100mg twice a day to continue lowering free testosterone and hopefully reduce hair growth. I will post an update in 6 months."

7 / 10
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78 Report
  • Cee...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 13, 2017

"I just started taking this medication because I have excessive facial and body hair growth. I'm really hopeful after reading a lot of reviews on it. @lola29 anyone looking to help with the coverage of their dark patches on their face: rub orange/red concealer (LA Girl has a great/cheap one) over your dark patches with a beauty blender or sponge. This will look strange and dark but it cancels out the dark patches in your skin. Then cover the orange concealer with a full coverage concealer or foundation (Dermacol is amazing!) ... make sure to set it with a powder. Seriously learned this trick from drag queens and it makes me feel 100x more comfortable while dealing with this facial hair. I hope that helps someone!!"

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96 Report
  • Dos...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 16, 2015

"I was given this prescription originally for acne, but haven't seen much effect there yet. However, it has done wonders for my body hair! I had a super-thick (and spreading) happy trail on my stomach, as well as more sparse chest hair. I've only been on Spiro for about 3 weeks, but the results are incredible! The hair is almost invisible, so I'm thrilled to see what it looks like after all the pre-medication razor burn and ingrown hair cuts are healed. I'll still be buying a Tria laser to make sure I get rid of as much hair as possible, but the hair is already visibly thinner, and it takes much longer to grow back as well. I wore a v-neck for the first time with confidence yesterday! Also, I've had NO side effects from this drug!"

9 / 10
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111 Report
  • Lol...
  • July 23, 2015

"I started getting facial hair probably 10 years ago. I'm 36 now. I am so embarrassed, and it's getting worse. I find myself not going out as much and avoiding as much eye contact as I can. My doctor prescribed spironolactone over a year ago, and it has not helped. She has increased it, but that hasn't helped either. My left side by my chin has a dark spot from me constantly plucking the black coarse hairs. I see friends and family looking at it, and I'm so uncomfortable that I just want to go home and hide. I have had labs done multiple times to check my hormone levels, and it all comes back just fine. I need suggestions on another medication to try and a very good concealer to help hide my problem area. I would appreciate any advice."

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110 Report
  • Bel...
  • August 25, 2015

"I've been taking this drug for about a month now. I suffer from PCOS and get very dark, coarse hair on my chin and neck. I have noticed a difference in the hair for sure. It is lighter and finer, which is great because I was getting tons of ingrowns. The only side effect I have had issues with is the fact that this is a diuretic, so I have to pee constantly."

9 / 10
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97 Report
  • Jen...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 30, 2019

"So it's been one week, and I suffer with PCOS. Specifically, the symptom I hate the most is the excess facial hair growth. I can say when I was in my doctor’s office one week ago, I had a full lady beard. And usually, if I pluck it, it will grow full one week later. So it's been one week on spironolactone, and I had nothing but little stubbles here and there. I can’t believe no one told me about this medicine before for facial hair. I’m actually impressed."

9 / 10
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58 Report
  • Spe...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 26, 2018

Aldactone (spironolactone) "I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) two years ago and was prescribed Aldactone 50 mg and Metformin 500 mg two times a day. I was never regular in taking the medicine and skipped it for months in a row. Problems started 5-6 months back when my body hair, sideburns, upper lip, and chin hair started increasing. Last month I plucked out almost 80 really thick hairs out of my chin, and I had a stupid five o'clock shadow on my upper lip after shaving. I was desperate and started taking the meds properly. Trust me, people, it's not even a month, and the thickness of unwanted hair has become half and grows really slowly. All you have to do is have faith and never miss a tablet. It really can do wonders in your life."

9 / 10
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69 Report
  • Lib...
  • November 14, 2017

"I have never written a review before, but since I find reviews so helpful, I figured I owed it to the universe to give back. I started taking 25 mg of Spironolactone twice a day for about two months for both excessive hair growth on my face and for some hormonal acne. I have been taking it in conjunction with laser hair removal, and let me say it has been LIFE CHANGING. I am no longer scared for someone to stand under me or to have my boyfriend touch my face. I have been liberated from the chin hair dictator, and I am so thankful. Also, I have noticed a sizable improvement in my skin. My dermatologist suggests I up the dose to get full improvement in my skin, and I am now taking 50 mg twice a day. I have had no noticeable side effects! Highly recommend it."

10 / 10
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64 Report
  • Nic...
  • February 10, 2020

"I started spironolactone 3 weeks ago at 100 mg. These past weeks, I have experienced nausea, tiredness, headaches, and dizziness. 2 days ago, I actually fainted and fractured my jaw by smashing it on a counter I fell on when fainting. I am now undergoing surgery for my jaw and having teeth removed. I have never experienced this before. My blood pressure has gone from 120/85 to 85/55 in the past 2 days. Spironolactone has caused me new medical conditions."

1 / 10
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48 Report
  • Car...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 30, 2020

"I've been on 100 mg for about 3 months now. I haven't had any negative side effects. I rarely get that fuzzy feeling, like when you have low blood sugar; only if I'm dehydrated or get up fast. I already drank a lot of water, so I haven't noticed a change in my water intake or need to use the bathroom. But I also haven't seen any benefits yet! My body hair is the same, facial hair is the same, skin the same. Not sure if I'm going to go on 200 mg or go off of it. I'll update at a later date with anything new."

1 / 10
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45 Report
  • H J...
  • May 20, 2017

"I'm a 31-year-old woman with PCOS, and I've dealt with acne and excessive facial hair growth for years. I've been on metformin for around 2 years now, which was supposed to help my PCOS symptoms (in addition to being borderline diabetic), but I never really saw any results until my doctor put me on spironolactone in January 2017. Since then, I've been taking a very low dose, only 50 mg once a day, but it has done wonders for the hair growth! Though I would advise others to wax your facial hair rather than shaving it. When the hair is removed from the follicles, the spiro stunts its regrowth. For me, if I wax it once a week, when it does regrow, it comes back barely half as thick as it used to, and it's nowhere near as noticeable."

10 / 10
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62 Report
  • Sth...
  • December 27, 2017

"I’m a 27-year-old African American woman, and I’ve been taking Spiro (100 mg) for hirsutism off and on for 4 years. I’d go off of it because it caused a significant amount of weight loss. I was already slim to begin with, so weight loss was not something I could tolerate. But when the excessive hair growth came back about 6 months later, I stayed on for another year. Fast forward to 4 years later, weight loss is no longer an issue, but I feel like the hair on top of my head is a lot thinner than it was before. Starting in January, I’m thinking about taking Spiro in conjunction with Hairfinity. I’ll provide an update at the end of March! Wish me luck, ladies."

8 / 10
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52 Report
  • Cle...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 2, 2018

"I could pluck hairs, go to bed, wake up in the morning, and have new hairs. The hairs were very thick and coarse. This causes dark spots on my jawline. I was ashamed to look people in the face. I went to multiple doctors through the years. I have been using spironolactone for less than a week, with noticeable improvement. I keep looking in the mirror and trying to find hair. My skin is softer and smoother. I can't believe I suffered for 30 years and am seeing results so fast. I was afraid to take it at first because I take diltiazem and Benicar. No problem so far. Blood pressure is running about the same."

10 / 10
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49 Report
  • Nel...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • October 3, 2018

"I started to get hairs on my face and neck when I turned 24 years old. After that, it just got worse to the point of having a full beard. Very embarrassing. I did laser hair removal, which didn't help since they didn't know what was causing the growth. I have been taking 100 mg of spironolactone twice a day now for around a year. There are less hairs, my leg, armpit hairs, etc. grow at a normal rate now. I still have a fair amount of unwanted hair, but it is fine and blonde now rather than coarse and black. I can grow my chin hairs out to wax them without people staring at me like I'm a mutant now, so that's a plus. I will never stop taking these pills and may eventually see if my doc will up the dosage again."

10 / 10
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45 Report
  • hap...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • December 22, 2015

"I've been on this drug for about 2 years, and I really like it! Results vary for different people, but for me, it's made the hair on my body grow in finer, lighter, and much slower. It's not a miracle pill for me (I still have hirsutism), but it's made me 1,000 times more comfortable in my body. I never had hirsutism on my face, so I don't have any comments about that... In any case, this drug takes a long time to kick in (6 months for me), but I definitely recommend it!"

7 / 10
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53 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 3, 2017

"I started taking 50 mg spironolactone once a day for moderate hirsutism on my chin (up to like 30 terminal hairs) and other areas on my body, as well as moderate acne (constant breakouts). During the first 2 weeks, I had crappy breakouts, and then, like clockwork, immediately after the 2-week mark, my skin started to clear up. I got electrolysis done, and after just one visit, the hairs were no longer terminal on my chin, and most of them didn't even grow back at all (so basically, the few that did grow back were like peach fuzz, which is the normal and unnoticeable hairs we have all over the body)."

10 / 10
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46 Report
  • Vic...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 18, 2015

"I've been on this for barely a week for excessive hair growth on my neck and face. The only side effect present so far is the drowsiness. Barely within an hour and I'm ready to sleep. The only problem is it makes me sleep for a quantity of 5 to 12 hours. Definitely a nighttime medication."

7 / 10
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55 Report
  • Cam...
  • October 5, 2020

"I have PCOS and have suffered from coarse facial and body hair for years. I recently started noticing male-pattern baldness around my temples and knew this was a hormonal problem, as I was tested for high testosterone. I started noticing results within days of taking the spironolactone, way sooner than I thought I would. Within a week, I was only having to shave my face every other day rather than every day, then every three days. My hairline has stopped receding and is slowly growing back. It's only been three weeks, and I'm already so happy with the results. I have only had minor side effects. The only one that bothers me at all is breast tenderness. I had some hot flashes the first week, but they went away quickly. Sometimes I'm a little nauseous or headachy, but only if I don't drink enough water. Since this is a diuretic, you need to stay on top of your water consumption and try to drink as much as you can every day."

9 / 10
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28 Report
Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.

Learn more about Hirsutism

Symptoms and treatments