Efficacy and safety of monotherapy and combination therapy of oral minoxidil for androgenetic alopecia: a structured review

Abstract

In both men and women, AGA is a condition where dihydrotestosterone resulting from testosterone attacks hair follicles. OM is an FDA approved antihypertensive vasodilator. OM is an antihypertensive vasodilator authorized by FDA but not authorized for hair loss therapy. Despite this, low-dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) 0.25 to 5 milligram has displayed a favorable safety and effectiveness profile in numerous research studies (Jimenez-Cauhe, Saceda-Corralo et al. 2019, Vano-Galvan,, Pirmez et al., 2021). Oral minoxidil generates hypertrichosis and cardiovascular system (CVS) symptoms according to numerous clinical studies and the FAERS database. On the other hand, several clinical studies show that oral minoxidil in combination with spironolactone or dutasteride intralesional injections has less side effects than monotherapy of OM. As combination therapy data obtained are based on prospective, uncontrolled and open-label observational studies with and short follow-up. Thus, further studies are warranted for the safety and efficacy of combination therapies.