Oral Minoxidil Shows Promise For Hair Growth
Table Of Content
Mean reduction in hair loss severity score at 6 and 12 months was 0.85 and 1.3, respectively. Improvement in the mean reduction in hair shedding score at 6 and 12 months was 2.3 and 2.6, respectively. (The FDA-approved application of oral minoxidil is for treating high blood pressure).
Side Effects
In this article we cover the basics on the doses typically prescribed for hair loss in men and women, what happens if you skip a dose, as well as the benefits and side effects of taking this medication. Minoxidil was developed as medication to treat high blood pressure, but its unintended side effect of causing hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth) led to its off-label use for hair growth. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
Assessing efficacy, adjusting treatment
Patients being treated for other conditions are likely able to take low-dose oral minoxidil for hair loss, but clinicians treating for those conditions must be made aware and approve of the regimen. Several clinical trials of topical minoxidil in men and women have demonstrated it helps increase hair thickness in areas where hair loss was observed, per data from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (PDF). Some studies suggest that the extra strength version (which uses a 5 percent concentration of the drug) is more effective than the original formula (which uses a 2 percent concentration). The only head-to-head study comparing oral minoxidil to topical minoxidil in women with Female Pattern Hair Loss showed that 1mg of minoxidil gave comparable effects to 5% solution (1ml) once a day (Ramos et al. 2020).
International Patients
A prospective study by Lueangarun et al.[15] reported results in 30 males with AGA after oral minoxidil 5 mg everyday for 24 weeks. Clinical improvement was observed in all patients whereas 43.3% patients reported marked improvement. Oral minoxidil has been evaluated by different investigators in different types of alopecia but is not currently approved for the treatment of alopecia. There are other, less common side effects of taking minoxidil by mouth. Tell your healthcare provider or pharmacist about all the medications and supplements you are taking, any health conditions you have or have had in the past, and any side effects you notice from taking the medication. A common side effect of topical minoxidil is irritation or rash on your scalp.
Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil for Hair Growth - Dermatology Times
Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil for Hair Growth.
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Side effects of minoxidil pills
The study revealed that 80% of the patients showed clinical improvement, especially those in more advanced stages of alopecia. It’s helpful to know what is happening to the blood pressure in the first few days but especially days after any change in dose. It’s a good idea for users of oral minoxidil to get a baseline blood pressure reading before they start using the pills because one will refer back to this number in future days, weeks and months ahead. Previous studies have taught us that patients using oral minoxidil at doses 0.625 mg and 1 mg rarely have changes in their heart rate or blood pressure after using minoxidil. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate are not that common with 2.5 mg but certainly more common with 5 mg doses.
Since then, the FDA has also approved minoxidil for female pattern hair loss, allowed it to be made in higher concentrations, and cleared it for over-the-counter sales without a prescription. Meanwhile, in a study of over 50 participants, minoxidil tablets also effectively treated female pattern hair loss. Since the mainstays of treatment for hair loss are typically topical minoxidil and oral finasteride, there’s less research on the effectiveness of oral minoxidil for combatting hair loss. That said, the research available shows it works for many people. In a review of 1,404 Cleveland Clinic patients on the regimen, nearly 80% had experienced no adverse effects. Hypertrichosis, the most common side effect, appeared for 15.1%.
Benefits of using oral minoxidil for hair loss
Dermatologists Embrace Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss - Medscape
Dermatologists Embrace Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss.
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About % of women using oral minoxidil will experience an increase in body hair including hair on the face. Many users will chose to still continue the minoxidil because they are pleased with its effects on the scalp and remove the excess hair with various means (laser, electrolysis). The use of oral minoxidil is FDA approved for high blood pressure. Side effects are uncommon at the low doses used to treat hair loss.
Topical minoxidil can cause irritation
Find out how nutrient deficiencies, COVID-19, and autoimmune conditions like alopecia... These treatments typically contain minoxidil, and they may be referred to as topical minoxidil more broadly. It may seem obvious but bears mentioning that higher doses of minoxidil lead to greater levels in the blood and the potential for greater side effects. One needs to simply monitor side effects with any dose increase.
A definitive guide to Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss by a Dermatologist
However, it is not approved for its use by the regulatory agencies. In the following section, evidence from the published literature with oral minoxidil is discussed followed by consensus statements from the experts. And while researchers have emphasized that a larger scale trial would be necessary to better understand dosing and safety, oral minoxidil treatment may work for other causes of hair loss. These include conditions like telogen effluvium, loose anagen hair syndrome, monilethrix, alopecia areata, and hair loss from cancer treatment. Clinical follow-up includes a visual examination and photographs and routine blood work.
Talk with a dermatologist to determine if oral minoxidil is an appropriate treatment for you. This medication, which is sold under the brand name Propecia, is FDA-approved to treat hair loss, specifically in men with androgenetic alopecia. Oral minoxidil can be a very helpful second line treatment for many conditions. One must be aware to risks and benefits of this medication and how the risks and potential for side effects change with different doses.
The serum concentration of minoxidil is about times higher with use of oral minoxidil than topical minoxidil. Studies of topical minoxidil showed that blood pressure and heart rate don’t change significantly in healthy users who use minoxidil at the appropriate dose. That said, there is an occasional patient who does find that their heart rate goes up in the firsts hours after applying minoxidil or that they feel dizzy. Oral minoxidil is easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The peak levels in the blood occur at around 1 hour after taking the medication and then levels slowly drop after that.
A later review, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in July 2020, looked at 17 studies involving 634 patients. The review suggested that oral minoxidil was a generally effective and well-tolerated alternative to topical minoxidil, though researchers add that larger, controlled studies are needed. “Nowadays, it is rather uncommon to treat hypertension with minoxidil,” says Juan Jimenez Cauhe, MD, a dermatologist at Ramon y Cajal University Hospital and a trichologist at Grupo Pedro Jaen Clinic, both in Madrid. It’s only recommended for severe hypertension cases when patients don’t respond to other medicines or when people have kidney failure, according to the American Heart Association. Thinning hair is a fact of life for most men and many women as they age — over 80 percent of men, and just under 50 percent of women, will experience hair loss, according to NYU Langone Health.
Transport of cysteine into hair cortex keratinocytes in the emerging anagen fiber is the final step in hair keratinization and the rate-limiting step in hair growth,” Sinclair says. “Oral minoxidil is already widely prescribed by dermatologists to treat hair loss worldwide. A recent publication from Spain showed more than 25% of dermatologists regularly prescribe it. Most of the hair experts in the United States now use it,” he explains. Graf and Yadav agree that before trying any pharmaceutical for hair growth, it’s important to pinpoint the cause behind hair loss. For women especially, hormonal changes can have a big impact.
In addition to cosmetic gains, a further appeal lies in the low dosage and price point of these pills. Minoxidil’s role in hair growth came as somewhat of a happy accident. One type of medication is fast rising in popularity thanks to its beneficial (albeit unintentional) effects on hair regrowth.
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