The Role of Minoxidil in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of minoxidil as a monotherapy for alopecia areata, analyzing 13 studies with 372 patients. It found that 5% topical minoxidil had an 82% response rate, significantly higher than lower concentrations. Oral minoxidil also showed an 82% response rate, but due to a small sample size, it was not included in the meta-analysis. Despite promising results, the study concluded that there is insufficient data to recommend minoxidil as a first-line treatment for alopecia areata. The study highlighted the need for further research due to limitations such as a small number of studies, lack of long-term data, and variability in study design.