Systemic minoxidil ‘safe for paediatric patients’
Data extracted from medical records at a Melbourne clinic suggest the medication is well-tolerated, dermatologists say
Low-dose oral or sublingual minoxidil could safely be prescribed for children with alopecia or other forms of hair loss, a small Australian study suggests.
Melbourne dermatologists say the finding, based on data from 63 paediatric cases, supports further exploration of systemic minoxidil in this setting to better assess its efficacy and the optimum dose.
Writing in the International Journal of Dermatology, Drs Rodney Sinclair and Jared John from Sinclair Dermatology have reported results from their retrospective review of medical records of children (median age 10) treated for hair loss at their clinic from 2000-2020.
Most patients (74%) were girls, and about two thirds of the cohort were treated for alopecia areata or alopecia totalis.
