Faculty Opinions Recommendation of Review of Oral Minoxidil as Treatment of Hair Disorders: In Search of the Perfect Dose
February 2022
in “
Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature
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TLDR Low-dose oral minoxidil is a promising, safe treatment for various hair diseases, improving hair thickness and density, but more research is needed on long-term side effects and treatment duration.
Low-dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) has been found to be an effective and safe treatment for various hair diseases, according to a systematic review. Women typically received 0.25-2mg of LDOM daily, with hypertrichosis being the most common side effect, observed in 17-27% of women. In men, a dosage of 2.5-5mg/day was usually given, with hypertrichosis, lower limb oedema, and hair shedding being more common at the 5mg dosage. However, 100% of male patients receiving under 5mg/day showed marked improvement. In female patients with chronic telogen effluvium, a mean dosage of 1mg/day was associated with improvement after 6 and 12 months of treatment. Other forms of alopecia also showed improvement in general hair thickness and density. The study concludes that LDOM is a promising therapy for alopecia, with a good safety profile and few contraindications. However, more research is needed to understand the long-term adverse events and duration of therapy.
