This invention relates to depilatories and external preparations, each of which contains endothelin or its agonist, and also to a depilating method characterized by administering endothelin or its agonist.As the depilatories and external preparations according to the present invention inhibit growth of hair in mammalian skin, their application to the human body as drugs or cosmetics permits safe and effective removal of hair from the body. These depilatories and external preparations are also usable as wool harvesting preparations.