Safety of Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil Treatment for Hair Loss: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis of Individual Patient Data

August 2020 in “ Dermatologic Therapy ”

Juan Jimenez-Cauhe, David Saceda-Corralo, Rita Rodrigues‐Barata, Oscar M. Moreno-Arrones, D. Ortega‐Quijano, Diego Fernandez-Nieto, Pedro Jaen‐Olasolo, Sergio Vano-Galvan

low-dose oral minoxidil hypertrichosis pedal edema postural hypotension heart rate alterations androgenetic alopecia Rogaine

TLDR Low-dose oral minoxidil is a safe treatment for hair loss, with the main side effect being excessive hair growth. Other side effects like foot swelling, low blood pressure when standing, and heart rate changes are rare.

In 2020, a systematic review and pooled-analysis was conducted on 14 studies involving 442 patients to assess the safety of low-dose oral minoxidil treatment for hair loss. The review found that low-dose oral minoxidil was a safe and well-tolerated treatment, with the main adverse effect being hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth) in 24% of patients. Other adverse effects such as pedal edema (swelling in the feet), postural hypotension (low blood pressure when standing up), and heart rate alterations were rare, occurring in 2%, 1.1%, and 1.3% of patients respectively. Four studies reported a clinical response in 70 - 100% of patients with androgenetic alopecia. However, the review noted that the studies were mostly observational, retrospective, and non-comparative, which could introduce biases.

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Research cited in this study

15 / 15 results

research Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil for Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Unicenter Descriptive Study of 148 Women

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Low-dose oral minoxidil effectively treats female hair loss with good safety.

research Very-Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil in Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Study with Quantitative Trichoscopic Documentation

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research Oral Minoxidil Bio-Activation by Hair Follicle Outer Root Sheath Cell Sulfotransferase Enzymes Predicts Clinical Efficacy in Female Pattern Hair Loss

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research Loose Anagen Hair Syndrome: Treatment with Systemic Minoxidil Characterized by Marked Hair Color Change

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research Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Pilot Study Investigating Combination Therapy with Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil and Spironolactone

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research The Pharmacokinetics of 2.5- to 10-mg Oral Doses of Minoxidil in Healthy Volunteers

25 citations, February 1989 in “The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology”

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Various medicinal plants like Polygonum multiflorum, Red ginseng extract, and Zizyphus jujuba can potentially treat hair loss, offering benefits like low cost and multiple ways of working. Other effective natural substances include Pygeum africanum, Seneroa, Urtica dioica, and more.

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research Topical Minoxidil for Hair Growth in Alopecia Areata and Androgenetica

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Minoxidil promotes hair regrowth, but more research needed for effectiveness and response factors.

Safety of Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil Treatment for Hair Loss: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis of Individual Patient Data

Research cited in this study

research Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil for Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Unicenter Descriptive Study of 148 Women

research Very-Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil in Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Study with Quantitative Trichoscopic Documentation

research Combination Tofacitinib and Oral Minoxidil Treatment for Severe Alopecia Areata

research Minoxidil 1 mg Oral Versus Minoxidil 5% Topical Solution for the Treatment of Female-Pattern Hair Loss: A Randomized Clinical Trial

research Oral Minoxidil Bio-Activation by Hair Follicle Outer Root Sheath Cell Sulfotransferase Enzymes Predicts Clinical Efficacy in Female Pattern Hair Loss

research Effectiveness and Safety of Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil in Male Androgenetic Alopecia

research Case Series of Oral Minoxidil for Androgenetic and Traction Alopecia: Tolerability and the Five C’s of Oral Therapy

research Loose Anagen Hair Syndrome: Treatment with Systemic Minoxidil Characterized by Marked Hair Color Change

research Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Pilot Study Investigating Combination Therapy with Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil and Spironolactone

research Treatment of Chronic Telogen Effluvium with Oral Minoxidil: A Retrospective Study

research Familial Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Treated With Dutasteride, Minoxidil, and Artificial Hair Transplantation

research Treatment of Monilethrix with Oral Minoxidil

research Treatment of Permanent Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia with Low Dose Oral Minoxidil

research Efficacy and Safety of Oral Minoxidil 5 mg Daily During 24-Week Treatment in Male Androgenetic Alopecia

research The Pharmacokinetics of 2.5- to 10-mg Oral Doses of Minoxidil in Healthy Volunteers

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