Use of Topical Minoxidil as a Possible Adjunct to Hair Transplant Surgery

The study investigated the use of topical minoxidil as an adjunct to hair transplant surgery. Twelve male patients with androgenetic alopecia were treated with a 3% solution of topical minoxidil after hair transplant surgery. Two patients demonstrated hair growth in the grafts without the shedding that usually occurs 2 to 4 weeks after surgery. In addition, two of the remaining 10 patients had regrowth <4 weeks after postsurgical telogen effluvium. Topical minoxidil may be an important adjunctive therapy during the recuperative period in patients who have undergone hair transplant surgery. However, carefully controlled studies are needed to substantiate this preliminary observation.