Permanent Alopecia Post-Chemotherapy with Favorable Response to Topical Minoxidil

In 2018, a case study was conducted on a 38-year-old woman who experienced permanent hair loss after undergoing chemotherapy with taxane (docetaxel) for breast cancer. Permanent chemotherapy-induced alopecia (PCIA) is rare and was primarily reported in patients who received high-dose busulfan chemotherapy for bone marrow transplants. However, recent cases of PCIA have been observed after taxane chemotherapy protocols for breast cancer. Despite the significant impact on patients' quality of life, no consistently effective treatment for taxane-associated PCIA had been described. After six months of continuous treatment with a 5% topical minoxidil solution applied twice daily, the woman in the study showed significant hair regrowth. This case study suggested that 5% topical minoxidil could be a potential treatment option for permanent chemotherapy-induced alopecia.