Topical Minoxidil and Dietary Supplement for the Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia in Childhood: A Retrospective Cohort Study

A retrospective cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of topical minoxidil and dietary supplements (l-cystine, medicinal yeast, and pantothenic acid complex-based dietary supplements, or CYP) in treating chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) in 70 pediatric patients. The study found that 87% of the patients showed improved scalp coverage, with increased hair density and thickness. The rate of permanent CIA was 12.9%. A dose-response relationship was found between topical minoxidil and treatment outcomes. Patients who received a combination of topical minoxidil and CYP showed significantly greater hair thickness than those who received topical minoxidil alone (21.4% vs. 9.3%, P = 0.02). Hair density was also higher in the combination therapy group, but the difference was not statistically significant (36% vs. 24.7%, P = 0.153). Only three patients reported mild adverse events, which resolved spontaneously within a week.