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
    Image of study
    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.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    4 / 4 results

    Related Community Posts Join

    6 / 1000+ results

      community I am a dermatologist with a clinical interest in alopecia. AMA

      in Will treatment work for me? 2 years ago
      In this conversation, 4990 discussed various treatments for hair loss, including oral minoxidil, PRP, transplan, Jak inhibitors, Dutasteride, Finasteride, Olumiant, Ketoconazole, RU58841, microneedling, baricitinib, and CCCA. They recommended scalp biopsies in unclear cases of DUPA, twice weekly to twice daily shampooing for topical minoxidil users, and two sessions spaced one month apart with follow up at month three to determine the effectiveness of PRP treatment.

      community Hair update 2 years after using Finasteride

      in Progress Pictures  589 upvotes 10 months ago
      The user shared a two-year hair regrowth update after using 1mg Finasteride daily and Minoxidil liquid once daily, with significant improvement and no side effects. Some users suggested adding derma rolling to the regimen, while others discussed the effectiveness of Finasteride alone before considering Minoxidil.

      community 1ish year on fin and no improvement

      in Is this regrowth?  86 upvotes 2 months ago
      The user has been using finasteride for over a year without improvement and recently started oral minoxidil. Suggestions include trying dutasteride and continuing minoxidil for potential regrowth.

      community When are we getting a cure to hair loss?

      in Chat 1 year ago
      Potential treatments for hair loss, including Minoxidil, finasteride, RU58841 and various upcoming pharmaceuticals, gene editing and cloning. It is suggested that a cure, if found, would be highly profitable due to the large number of people affected by hair loss globally.

    Related Research

    3 / 3 results