Comparative Study of Oral and Topical Minoxidil for Androgenetic Alopecia in Men
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
Translated by Nhi Phuong Quynh Le, B.A |
Posted on May 6th, 2024
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To treat androgenetic alopecia in men, the only treatments approved by the US Food and Drug Administration are oral finasteride and topical minoxidil. However, their usage had been linked with adverse sexual effects and scalp irritation. Consequently, the Brazilian Dermatology Society initiated a study to explore the feasibility of employing oral minoxidil for managing androgenetic alopecia.
The study enrolled a total of 90 men between the age of 18 and 55 years old who had been diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia at grade 3V, 4V, and 5V - determined by the Norwood-Hamilton scale. The participants were randomly assigned to be treated with either 5 mg of oral minoxidil once a day or 1 mL of 5% topical minoxidil twice a day. Minoxidil is a vasodilator that had previously been used to treat hypertension, but previous studies had shown that it can prolong the growth phase of hair follicles [1]. After 24 weeks of treatment, the hair density improvement at both the frontal and vertex area was observed in the oral and topical formulation of minoxidil, and there was no significant difference between the two routes of administration. Despite the comparable efficacy of the two treatment options, oral minoxidil remains a viable regimen due to its distinct risk profile. Oral minoxidil use is associated with a higher risk of hypertrichosis and headache, whereas topical minoxidil carries a higher risk of scalp eczema and a slightly higher risk of scalp itch, although not statistically significant.
The study enrolled a total of 90 men between the age of 18 and 55 years old who had been diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia at grade 3V, 4V, and 5V - determined by the Norwood-Hamilton scale. The participants were randomly assigned to be treated with either 5 mg of oral minoxidil once a day or 1 mL of 5% topical minoxidil twice a day. Minoxidil is a vasodilator that had previously been used to treat hypertension, but previous studies had shown that it can prolong the growth phase of hair follicles [1]. After 24 weeks of treatment, the hair density improvement at both the frontal and vertex area was observed in the oral and topical formulation of minoxidil, and there was no significant difference between the two routes of administration. Despite the comparable efficacy of the two treatment options, oral minoxidil remains a viable regimen due to its distinct risk profile. Oral minoxidil use is associated with a higher risk of hypertrichosis and headache, whereas topical minoxidil carries a higher risk of scalp eczema and a slightly higher risk of scalp itch, although not statistically significant.