Relative Efficacy of Minoxidil in Combination With Other Treatments for Androgenic Alopecia: A Network Meta-Analysis Based on Randomized Controlled Trials

This study conducted a network meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials with 729 patients to assess the efficacy of minoxidil combined with other treatments for androgenetic alopecia. The combination of platelet-rich plasma and basic fibroblast growth factor with minoxidil showed the highest efficacy, with a SUCRA value of 93.06% and a mean increase in hair density of 35.12 hairs/cm² compared to minoxidil alone. For males, finasteride with minoxidil was most effective (SUCRA = 80.18%), while for females, microneedling with minoxidil was superior (SUCRA = 87.18%). The study suggests that combination therapies generally outperform minoxidil alone and provides a hierarchy of effective minoxidil-based combination therapies, offering guidance for optimizing androgenetic alopecia management. However, it also emphasizes the need for further direct comparison studies due to the low quality of evidence from indirect comparisons and small sample sizes.