Severe Hypertrichosis of the External Ear Canal During Minoxidil Therapy
August 1988
in “
Archives of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
”
TLDR Minoxidil can cause excessive hair growth in the ear canal, leading to ear infections and hearing loss.
Minoxidil, a potent vasodilator used for severe hypertension, frequently caused hypertrichosis, or excessive hair growth, in areas such as the forehead, face, neck, shoulders, arms, and legs. This side effect was attributed to increased blood flow to hair follicles. The document described a case where a patient experienced severe hypertrichosis in the external ear canal, leading to chronic otitis externa and hearing loss.
