Oral minoxidil: recipe for a hairy disaster?

September 9, 2017 5:35 PM

This question comes from Mrs. Gefilte. She is wondering if any women out there have tried using oral minoxidil (Loniten) for androgenetic alopecia (female pattern hair loss). Her dermatologist suggested trying it since the topical stuff was causing too much scalp irritation. Apparently some people have had success, but the risk of growing hair in unwanted places is a bit scary. Looking for any further anecdotes about using this stuff and what effect it's had, for better or for worse.
posted by greatgefilte to Health & Fitness (1 answer total)

Oral minoxidil is not at all commonly prescribed for androgenetic alopecia. Given the choice, I'd avoid using a drug which has documented side effects that include pericardial tamponade and worsening chest pain. I do not have personal experience with minoxidil, but my understanding is that once the minoxidil is stopped, the alterations in hair growth will also revert back to what it had been previously.

Has Mrs. Gefilte tried spironolactone or perhaps finasteride? Those are non-topical alternatives that do not come with the risk of hypertrichosis (excess, non-androgenic hair growth).
posted by gemutlichkeit at 2:19 PM on September 10, 2017