The Impact of Overlapping Topical and Oral Minoxidil to Combat Temporary Hair Shedding During Oral Minoxidil Initiation

A retrospective chart review of 174 patients at NYU Dermatology evaluated the impact of overlapping topical and oral minoxidil on temporary hair shedding during low dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) initiation. Among the patients, 51 used both treatments for at least 1 month, while 123 did not. The study found no significant difference in hair shedding between the two groups (p = 0.48) and no significant association between overlapping therapies and the occurrence of "dread shed" (p = 0.51). These findings suggest that maintaining topical minoxidil during LDOM initiation may not reduce shedding, potentially allowing patients to avoid the drawbacks of topical therapy. The study's limitations include its retrospective design, small sample size, and reliance on subjective patient reports.