SS-03   NON-CONVENTIONAL USES OF MINOXIDIL TOPICAL SOLUTION FOR ALOPECIA

J. Shapiro University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

The efficacy of minoxidil topical solution (MTS) in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is well established. Dermatologists have also used MTS in other conditions, such as drug-induced alopecia, cicatricial alopecia, and adjunctive treatment in hair transplantation. The use of MTS for these other therapeutic indications will be explored in this presentation. Drug-induced alopecia is not uncommon and can be caused by a wide range of drugs. The mechanisms and treatment of drug-induced alopecia will be reviewed, and a case of telogen effluvium that was successfully treated with MTS will be presented. Cicatricial alopecia is a diverse group of diseases characterized by potentially irreversible alopecia. Follicles can be saved if the inflammatory process is controlled. Treatment goals include arresting cicatrization, decreasing follicular inflammation, and preventing further fibrosis an aggressive multiple-modality therapeutic plan often is necessary. MTS may not halt the cicatricizing process but it may camouflage the condition by treating co-existing AGA. A recently-completed study of MTS for cicatricial alopecia will be reviewed, and a case in which MTS was added to an existing treatment plan will be presented. The use of MTS as an adjunct to hair transplantation has been reported to be helpful in limiting further hair loss and optimizing density of transplanted hair. A case in which MTS was used prior to and after hair transplantation is reported. The potential benefits of regular application of MTS following hair transplant surgery include an increase in the number of anagen hairs, promotion of hair growth in the transplanted grafts and surrounding areas, reduction of postsurgical shock and telogen effluvium, and more rapid regrowth. Treatment with MTS is a rational therapeutic choice in these clinical scenarios.