Association of Topical Minoxidil With Autosomal Recessive Woolly Hair/Hypotrichosis Caused by LIPH Pathogenic Variants

July 2020 in “ JAMA Dermatology ”

Tomoki Taki, Kana Tanahashi, Takuya Takeichi, Takenori Yoshikawa, Yuya Murase, Kazumitsu Sugiura, Masashi Akiyama

minoxidil autosomal recessive woolly hair hypotrichosis LIPH pathogenic variants Hair Area Percentage hair shaft diameter Rogaine

TLDR Minoxidil solution applied twice daily improved hair growth in patients with Woolly Hair/Hypotrichosis due to LIPH gene issues, with mild side effects.

A non-randomized clinical trial involving 8 Japanese patients aged 4 to 38 with Autosomal Recessive Woolly Hair/Hypotrichosis (ARWH) carrying LIPH pathogenic variants applied a 1% minoxidil solution to their scalps twice daily for a year. The study found that all participants showed improvement in hypotrichosis, with Hair Area Percentage (HAP) scores and hair shaft diameters increasing. No serious side effects were reported, though some mild ones were noted. The study suggests that minoxidil could improve hypotrichosis in ARWH due to LIPH pathogenic variants, but more research is needed to understand the pharmacologic response to minoxidil.