A Rare Case of Peripheral Edema Induced by Topical Minoxidil: A Case Report
May 2025
in “
Current Drug Safety
”
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Studysummary In this case study, a 17-year-old male using topical minoxidil 5% for beard growth developed peripheral edema, which resolved after discontinuing the drug, highlighting a rare but significant systemic side effect of minoxidil's use. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
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.
