A Rare Case of Peripheral Edema Induced by Topical Minoxidil: A Case Report

    May 2025 in “ Current Drug Safety ”
    Hassan Alkhwildi, Sara Alsaffar, Carina Bethlehem
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    TLDR Topical minoxidil can rarely cause swelling due to fluid retention.
    A 17-year-old male developed peripheral edema after using topical minoxidil 5% for beard growth, highlighting a rare systemic side effect of the treatment. The edema appeared seven weeks into the treatment and resolved one to two weeks after discontinuation. This case underscores that while topical minoxidil is generally safe, its vasodilatory mechanism can lead to systemic effects like fluid retention and increased capillary hydrostatic pressure, influenced by factors such as application area, concentration, and individual skin permeability.
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