Dermatologica. 1987;175 Suppl 2:36-41.

Topical minoxidil in extensive alopecia areata, including 3-year follow-up.
Price VH.

Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Francisco, Calif.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of topical minoxidil is the fact that this drug can promote hair regrowth in two unrelated conditions: alopecia areata (AA) and androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hairloss ). snip... In androgenetic alopecia, genetically marked hair follicles undergo progressive, androgen-mediated miniaturization; antiandrogens have been conventionally sought to intercept this process. It is not known how minoxidil promotes hair regrowth except that living follicles capable of stimulation and hypertrophy are required. It may be that minoxidil influences some fundamental signal for regrowth to the follicular apparatus, ...snip... While topical minoxidil is not very effective for those with 100% scalp hair loss, it is an effective, easy and safe treatment for those with AA affecting 25-99% of the scalp.