Symptom Checker
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Excessive Body and Facial Hair in Women
Possible treatments for hirsutism that your doctor may discuss include:
- Oral contraceptives (birth control pills). If an oral contraceptive is prescribed, it is important that the pill's progestin (progesterone-like) component has a low androgen (male hormone-like) effect.
- Spironolactone (Aldactone). This medicine decreases the effect of testosterone on hair cells. Even though patients with idiopathic hirsutism have normal testosterone levels, this can be helpful.
All sexually active women considering spironolactone must be rigorous about their birth control during the entire time they are taking the medication. Usually, women are first started on an oral contraceptive and then spironolactone is added later.
At the same time, you may wish to pursue hair removal.
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