An ointment formulation of the hydrochloride salt of an ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) inhibitor with hair-growth inhibitory and potential chemopreventive activities. When administered topically, eflornithine irreversibly inhibits skin ODC activity, thereby inhibiting the synthesis of polyamines; inhibition of polyamine synthesis may result in diminished hair growth and epidermal cell turnover. Check for active clinical trials using this agent. (NCI Thesaurus)