HAIRCARE TOPIC: ORAL (not topical) Minoxidil for hair loss??does it work??? ✨Minoxidil has been FDA approved here in the USA to combat alopecias/hair loss since 1988 and 1991 for men and women respectively....over the last few years, many of us have been prescribing it to take it orally. ✨The evidence seems to be there...at doses from 0.25 to 5mg daily to twice daily, there’s been objective evidence of improvement in androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and alopecia areata (AA) with 61-100% and 18-82.4% respectively. ✨Oral Minoxidil was typically used for severe, resistant hypertension (high blood pressure)...the most common side effect is hypertrichosis and there’s a black box warning for minoxidil at therapeutic doses of 10-100mg daily...that I’ve seen in personal practice...Pericardial effusions and increasing workload of the heart which are legit, life-threatening issues. ✨Having gone through medschool, the theoretical upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) throughout the body (as opposed to on the scalp only) is a little concerning. Bottom line: it’s no lie that this medication may give you the benefits that you desire. I don’t think everyone is a great candidate, but it may be worth asking your healthcare provider. PMID: 32516434 PMID: 32757405