[Current treatment of hypertrichosis].

Facial hypertrichosis and hirsutism may cause severe cosmetic and psychologic problems. In the following, new developments in the treatment of hypertrichosis will be presented. Permanent depilation by photothermolysis is currently the most promising treatment. A new topical treatment of hypertrichosis is eflornithine cream. It inhibits the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase which is essential for the rapidly dividing cells of the hair follicle. Furthermore, other methods of hair removal such as plucking, waxing, chemical depilation by thioglycolates, electrolysis, thermolysis and systemic therapies of hirsutism will be discussed.