To evaluate hypertrichosis with low dose oral minoxidil and spironolactone combination therapy for alopecia

Low dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) is an efficacious and safe treatment for alopecia, however, a notable side effect is hypertrichosis. Spironolactone, known for treating hirsutism, is also used off-label for the treatment of certain forms of alopecia and may reduce LDOM-induced hypertrichosis. We perfo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of dermatological research 2024-08, Vol.316 (8), p.510, Article 510
Main Authors: Nohria, Ambika, Desai, Deesha, Sikora, Michelle, Mandal, Soutrik, Caplan, Avrom, Shapiro, Jerry, Lo Sicco, Kristen I.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Administration, Oral
Adolescent
Adult
Alopecia
Alopecia - diagnosis
Alopecia - drug therapy
Dermatology
Drug Therapy, Combination - methods
Female
Hirsutism
Humans
Hypertrichosis
Hypertrichosis - chemically induced
Hypertrichosis - diagnosis
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Middle Aged
Minoxidil
Minoxidil - administration & dosage
Minoxidil - adverse effects
Research Letter
Retrospective Studies
Spironolactone - administration & dosage
Spironolactone - adverse effects
Statistical analysis
Treatment Outcome
Young Adult
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Summary:Low dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) is an efficacious and safe treatment for alopecia, however, a notable side effect is hypertrichosis. Spironolactone, known for treating hirsutism, is also used off-label for the treatment of certain forms of alopecia and may reduce LDOM-induced hypertrichosis. We performed a retrospective review of 54 patients seen at NYU Langone Health and compared hypertrichosis rates in female alopecia patients on LDOM monotherapy versus those on combination therapy with spironolactone. Among 54 patients, 37 received LDOM alone and 17 received the combination. Hypertrichosis developed in 33.3% of patients, with lower rates in the combination group (17.6% vs. 40.5% for monotherapy). Although not statistically significant, the trend suggests spironolactone may mitigate hypertrichosis. The study highlights the potential of combination therapy to address hypertrichosis and calls for larger studies to confirm these findings.
ISSN:1432-069X
0340-3696
1432-069X
DOI:10.1007/s00403-024-03261-0