Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil in the Treatment of Alopecia: Evidence and Experience-Based Consensus Statement of Indian Experts

May 2023 in “ International Journal of Trichology ”

Kiran Godse, Abhishek De, Maya Vedamurthy, Deepa Shankar, Bela Shah, Mukesh Girdhar, Ramesh M Bhat, Anil Ganjoo, Sushil Tahiliani, Anant Patil

oral minoxidil alopecia androgenetic alopecia hypertrichosis pedal edema blood pressure Rogaine

Studysummary This expert consensus discusses the potential use of oral minoxidil for treating alopecia and provides guidance to clinicians based on a comprehensive literature review and expert feedback; it reports no new clinical results.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The document is a consensus statement by Indian experts discussing the effectiveness of low-dose oral Minoxidil in treating various forms of alopecia, primarily Androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Studies involving both male and female patients showed that oral Minoxidil can effectively treat hair loss, with most cases showing clinical improvement. Side effects such as hypertrichosis and pedal edema were observed, but were generally mild and did not lead to treatment discontinuation. One study involving 100 women reported a decrease in blood pressure without any abnormal blood test results. Another study with 1404 patients reported hypertrichosis in 15.1% of patients, leading to treatment withdrawal in 0.5% of patients. Other side effects were reported in less than 2% of patients. The document concludes that low-dose oral Minoxidil can be a viable treatment for alopecia, with minimal serious side effects.

View this study on journals.lww.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

25 / 25 results

research Comorbidities in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Comprehensive Review

September 2022 in “Dermatology and therapy”

This review discusses the pathological factors and comorbidities associated with androgenetic alopecia and reports no new clinical results, emphasizing the need for improved understanding and treatment in clinical practice.

research Safety and Efficacy of ALRV5XR in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomised, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

3 citations , September 2021 in “EClinicalMedicine”

In this study, ALRV5XR treatment significantly increased terminal hair density in men with androgenetic alopecia after 24 weeks, while also decreasing vellus hair density, and was well tolerated without adverse events, suggesting its potential efficacy over standard therapies.

research Safety of Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss: A Multicenter Study of 1404 Patients

39 citations , February 2021 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

In this study, low-dose oral minoxidil for hair loss was associated with infrequent systemic adverse effects, and only 1.7% of patients discontinued treatment due to these effects.

Efficacy and Safety of Oral Minoxidil 5 mg Once Daily in the Treatment of Male Patients with Androgenetic Alopecia: An Open-Label and Global Photographic Assessment

research Efficacy and Safety of Oral Minoxidil 5 mg Once Daily in the Treatment of Male Patients with Androgenetic Alopecia: An Open-Label and Global Photographic Assessment

24 citations , September 2020 in “Dermatology and therapy”

This study found that low-dose oral minoxidil 5 mg daily significantly increased hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia over 24 weeks, with increased hair count and vertex area improvement, though most experienced hypertrichosis and some had pedal edema.

research Efficacy and Safety of Oral Minoxidil in Female Androgenetic Alopecia

14 citations , September 2020 in “Dermatologic Therapy”

This study reported that oral minoxidil improved hair density and had an acceptable safety profile in women with androgenetic alopecia.

research Safety of Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil Treatment for Hair Loss: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis of Individual Patient Data

14 citations , August 2020 in “Dermatologic Therapy”

This study reported that low-dose oral minoxidil is generally safe for treating various types of hair loss, though it may cause hypertrichosis and pedal edema, especially at higher doses.

research Prescribing Habits for Androgenic Alopecia Among Dermatologists in Spain in 2019–2020: A Cross-Sectional Study

3 citations , January 2020 in “Skin appendage disorders”

This study observed that among dermatologists in Spain, topical minoxidil and oral finasteride are the most commonly prescribed treatments for male androgenic alopecia, while oral dutasteride and oral minoxidil have seen increased use in recent years.

research Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil for Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Unicenter Descriptive Study of 148 Women

12 citations , January 2020 in “Skin appendage disorders”

Low-dose oral minoxidil effectively treats female hair loss with good safety.

research Very-Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil in Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Study with Quantitative Trichoscopic Documentation

24 citations , September 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that using very-low-dose oral minoxidil (0.25 mg/d) led to improvement or stabilization of hair parameters in 40% to 60% of men with androgenetic alopecia, although results were not statistically significant for the overall group.

research Combination Tofacitinib and Oral Minoxidil Treatment for Severe Alopecia Areata

23 citations , September 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

In this retrospective analysis, combination therapy with tofacitinib and oral minoxidil led to significant scalp hair regrowth in patients with severe alopecia areata, with 67% achieving at least 75% regrowth, although the small sample size limits the findings.

research Minoxidil 1 mg Oral Versus Minoxidil 5% Topical Solution for the Treatment of Female-Pattern Hair Loss: A Randomized Clinical Trial

53 citations , August 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study observed that low-dose oral minoxidil and topical minoxidil 5% solution both improved hair density in women with female-pattern hair loss, but oral minoxidil may offer advantages in reducing hair shedding.

research Effectiveness and Safety of Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil in Male Androgenetic Alopecia

52 citations , May 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of low-dose oral minoxidil (2.5-5 mg daily) in men with male androgenetic alopecia, aiming to contribute data to an area with limited previous reports. Results are not provided in the abstract.

research Expert Consensus on the Management of Androgenetic Alopecia in India

8 citations , January 2019 in “International Journal of Trichology”

This review discusses dermatologists' expert opinions on choosing effective and safe treatments for managing androgenetic alopecia, but it reports no new research findings.

research Case Series of Oral Minoxidil for Androgenetic and Traction Alopecia: Tolerability and the Five C’s of Oral Therapy

36 citations , September 2018 in “Dermatologic Therapy”

This study found that 78% of patients continued taking oral minoxidil for androgenetic or traction alopecia, with 33% reporting decreased hair shedding and 28% noting increased scalp hair.

research Loose Anagen Hair Syndrome: Treatment with Systemic Minoxidil Characterized by Marked Hair Color Change

12 citations , March 2018 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology”

This letter to the editor discusses the use of systemic minoxidil for loose anagen hair syndrome, noting a significant change in hair color, but reports no new study results.

research Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Pilot Study Investigating Combination Therapy with Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil and Spironolactone

80 citations , December 2017 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This study reported that once-daily treatment with oral minoxidil and spironolactone for 12 months reduced hair loss severity and hair shedding in women with pattern hair loss, with generally mild side effects, though results came from an uncontrolled, observational pilot study.

research Treatment of Chronic Telogen Effluvium with Oral Minoxidil: A Retrospective Study

40 citations , September 2017 in “F1000Research”

In this study, women with chronic telogen effluvium experienced reduced hair shedding after being treated with once daily oral minoxidil for 12 months, but facial hypertrichosis was a reported side effect, suggesting the need for further placebo-controlled research.

research Familial Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Treated With Dutasteride, Minoxidil, and Artificial Hair Transplantation

17 citations , June 2016 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology”

In this case report, a 46-year-old woman with familial frontal fibrosis alopecia experienced initial stabilization of hair loss with dutasteride and minoxidil, but artificial hair transplantation led to implant folliculitis, requiring removal of the fibers.

research Treatment of Monilethrix with Oral Minoxidil

37 citations , May 2016 in “JAAD case reports”

This abstract describes monilethrix, an autosomal dominant genodermatosis with symptoms like hair fragility and keratosis pilaris, and does not report new experimental results.

Treatment of Permanent Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia with Low Dose Oral Minoxidil