ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA IN THE FEMALE - TREATMENT WITH 2-PERCENT TOPICAL MINOXIDIL SOLUTION

Background: Women generally regard their hair loss as socially unaccep table and go to great measures to conceal their problem. In some cases , the negative self-image brought about by hair loss may be the basis of psychiatric illness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a 2% topical minoxidil solution (Rogaine/Regaine, The Upjohn Co, Kalamazoo , Mich) for the treatment of female androgenetic alopecia. A 32-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 11 US centers. Three hundred eight women with androgenetic alopecia were enrolled. T wo hundred fifty-six of these women completed the trial. A refined pho tographic technique was used to objectively determine the number of no nvellus hairs regrown. Results: After 32 weeks of treatment, the numbe r of nonvellus hairs in a 1-cm2 evaluation site was increased by an av erage of 23 hairs in the 2% minoxidil group and by an average of 11 ha irs in the placebo group. The 95% confidence interval for the differen ce in mean hair count change between the treatment groups was 5.9 to 1 7.5 hairs. The investigators determined that 13% in the minoxidil-trea ted group had moderate growth and 50% had minimal growth. This compare d with 6% and 33%, respectively, in the placebo-treated group. Similar ly, 60% of the patients in the 2% minoxidil group reported that they h ad new hair growth (20% moderate, 40% minimal) compared with 40% (7% m oderate, 33% minimal) of the patients in the placebo group. No evaluat ions of dense hair growth were reported for either treatment group. No clinically significant changes in vital signs were observed and no se rious or unexpected medical events were reported.Conclusions: Topical minoxidil was significantly more effective than placebo in the treatme nt of female androgenetic alopecia.