Evaluation of Oral Minoxidil in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata

    November 1987 in “ Archives of Dermatology ”
    Virginia C. Fiedler-Weiss, Jean A. Rumsfield, Cunera Buys, Dennis P. West, Andrea Wendrow
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    TLDR Oral minoxidil helps hair regrowth in 80% of alopecia patients, but only 18% see cosmetic improvement.
    The study evaluated the effectiveness of oral minoxidil in treating alopecia areata. The study involved 65 patients who were monitored for 12 to 18 months. The results showed that 80% of patients responded to oral minoxidil, with 18% experiencing cosmetic regrowth. Oral minoxidil was found to be more effective than topical 5% minoxidil, with hair regrowth progressing more rapidly and being more extensive. However, only 18% of patients achieved a cosmetically meaningful response. The study suggests that even with improved topical minoxidil preparations, minoxidil as a single therapeutic agent is expected to be cosmetically effective only in a minority of patients with severe alopecia areata.
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