Inner Balance BodyMatched Review: Does Finasteride Reduce Facial Hair?
- Peggy B. - Experienced HRT Patient Reviewer
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Medical Disclaimer & 2026 Update: I am a patient sharing my personal journey with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). This review is for informational purposes and is not medical advice. Following the February 2026 FDA update regarding HRT labeling and compounding transparency, I have updated this post to reflect my latest labs and clinical discussions with my provider. Always consult a licensed professional before starting any hormone protocol.
I've been on some sort of HRT since I was 52, I'm currently 59. In the process of trying and testing different formulations, I began to notice that many of the companies started to offer prescription face creams that include Estriol, Tretinoin, Niacinamide and some include Finasteride.
Inner Balance, which is currently the company I purchase my HRT from, offers a version of facial cream that includes Finasteride. Finasteride helps control unwanted facial hair growth and reduces excess oil production by blocking certain hormones at the skin level. But, does it really work?
Why Hormonal Changes Cause Unwanted Facial Hair
As we move through perimenopause and menopause, our hormone levels naturally shift. The most frustrating part of this recalibration for many of us is the sudden appearance of stubborn, coarse hairs on our chin, jawline, or upper lip. Essentially, as our protective estrogen levels drop, the balance of hormones in our bodies changes. Without enough estrogen to buffer them, our hair follicles become more sensitive to androgens (like testosterone). This sensitivity triggers a change where harmless, soft peach fuzz starts growing into thicker, darker hairs that just won’t quit.
The main villain here is a hormone byproduct called DHT. Inside your skin, there is a specific enzyme that acts like a key, turning your regular testosterone into DHT right at the hair follicle. Once that conversion happens, the DHT binds to the follicle and gives it a growth signal that results in thicker, coarser hair shafts. Understanding this is a huge relief: it proves that those stray chin hairs aren't about your grooming habits or bad luck—it’s just a clear biological response to shifting hormones that we can actually target and manage.
What is Topical Finasteride and How Does It Work?
Think of topical Finasteride as a targeted blocker for your hair follicles. While oral Finasteride (a pill) works systemically by lowering DHT levels throughout your entire body, the topical version—like the kind found in my Inner Balance BodyMatched cream—is designed to work locally. When you apply it directly to your skin, it interferes with that 5-alpha-reductase enzyme we talked about earlier. By effectively locking that enzyme, it stops your body from converting testosterone into the troublesome DHT right at the source.
Because it stays mostly at the site of application, topical Finasteride offers a much more surgical approach to hormone management. You get the benefit of blocking those hair-thickening signals where you actually need it, without subjecting your entire system to the medication. For many of us, this is the gold standard for maintenance: it helps keep the follicles quiet, preventing them from receiving the constant message to produce coarse, terminal hair. It’s not about changing your hormone levels overall; it’s about giving your skin the tools to stop the cycle of unwanted growth before it starts.
The Reality Check: Does It Actually Remove Hair?
If you are looking for an overnight eraser for your chin or lip hair, I have to be completely honest with you: this cream is not a hair remover. Topical Finasteride does not dissolve existing hair, nor will it instantly make unwanted growth vanish like a laser treatment or electrolysis would. If you currently have coarse, established hairs, you will still need to pluck, wax, or shave them—this product won't magically make them drop off.
Instead, think of the Inner Balance BodyMatched cream as a preventative maintenance tool. By consistently blocking the DHT signal at the hair follicle, it changes the future of how your hair grows. Over time, I’ve found that my hair regrows much slower, and the new hairs that do sprout are significantly finer, lighter, and less "wiry" than before.
In short, it’s about managing the cycle rather than destroying it. While it won't replace your tweezers, it makes the "revolving door" of daily grooming much less aggressive. For those of us dealing with hormonal shifts, achieving that kind of long-term control is often just as valuable as a quick fix.
Comparing Topical Finasteride to Other Hormone Solutions
When exploring options for hormonal facial hair, it’s helpful to understand that Finasteride and Spironolactone take two different paths to the same goal: reducing androgen influence. Finasteride acts like a filter, inhibiting the enzyme that converts testosterone into the more potent DHT. In contrast, Spironolactone is a broad-spectrum "blocker" that competes with various androgens for receptors throughout the body.
While Spironolactone is often considered the clinical gold standard for systemic issues like hormonal acne or generalized hirsutism because of its wider impact, it is typically taken orally and carries more systemic side effects, such as dizziness or potassium changes. Topical Finasteride offers a more localized alternative, making it an excellent choice for women—particularly those in menopause—who want to target specific areas without the full-body impact of oral anti-androgens.
Inner Balance Face Cream Cost
This face cream requires a prescription from Inner Balance. You can purchase as a monthly or quarterly subscription. The cost will rance from $103 per month to $219 per month, depending on whether you chosee the monthly plan or the quarerly plan.
Inner Balance Face Cream Reivew, is Body Matched Worth it?
Yes. To be able to get a prescription Face Cream that includes Estriol, Tretinoin, Niacinamide and Finasteride for $103, is worth it. Actually, I get about 38 days out of each bottle, vs. the 30 that they adverise that you get out of it.
I will say, you do have to give it at least six-months as Inner Balance suggests. For me it took more like seven months before I could honestly see that I had only small peach fuzz on my chin rather than the "old lady hairs" I used to see. What hair is there is very fine and very light in color.
Inner Balance BodyMatched Review: Does Finasteride Reduce Facial Hair
At the end of the day, managing hormonal facial hair is about finding a sustainable rhythm that fits your lifestyle. After seven months of using my custom Inner Balance BodyMatched cream, I’ve found that the best results come from consistency, not miracles. While this cream won’t erase every stray hair overnight, it has successfully shifted my routine from a daily battle to simple, occasional maintenance. By calming the follicles locally and improving my skin’s overall health with bioidentical estriol, I feel much more in control of the changes that come with this stage of life.
If you are tired of the revolving door of plucking and waxing, or if you want a targeted, low-risk way to address androgen-sensitive thinning and growth, this topical approach is absolutely worth discussing with your provider. Remember, hormonal health isn't one-size-fits-all—what works for me might be part of your strategy, but always prioritize a consultation to ensure your treatment plan is safe and tailored to your unique hormonal profile.
Comments