Patient-Reported Side Effects of Oral Minoxidil in Treating Female Pattern Hair Loss

    July 2024 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”
    Dyuti Sharma, L. Mo, Austin J. Piontkowski, Rakesh Patel, Crystal Medina, Benjamin Ungar
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    TLDR Most women continued using oral minoxidil for hair loss despite mild to moderate side effects.
    A telephone survey of 102 female pattern hair loss (FPHL) patients taking low-dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) revealed that while 72% experienced unwanted hair growth, most cases were mild to moderate and did not significantly impact treatment adherence. Participants reported a decrease in hair loss severity from 7 to 4 on a 10-point scale after an average of 12 months of treatment. Other side effects included hair shedding (47%), leg swelling and lightheadedness/dizziness (7.8% each), heart palpitations (5.9%), and shortness of breath (4.9%). Despite these side effects, the majority of patients chose to continue treatment, underscoring the importance of shared decision-making in treatment plans.
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