Minoxidil

Abstract

Minoxidil Hypertrichosis: case reportA 9-month-old girl developed hypertrichosis following exposure to minoxidil [dosage of exposure not stated].The girl presented with generalised hair growth that had begun 3 months before her visit. Before her age of 6 months hair distribution was normal as revealed by her photographs. On examination it was seen that there were increased hairs on extremities, trunk, diaper area, and her face. It was revealed on further questioning that the girl's grandfather had male pattern baldness, for which he had started with topical 5% minoxidil solution 1mL twice daily to his scalp. The grandfather used to spent an hour or more daily carrying her on his shoulders with her legs around his neck and her hands and head resting on his scalp, sometimes within 1 hour of minoxidil application.The grandfather noticed more scalp hair after 2 months, however, he stopped using minoxidil when he found that the infant began growing hair. The girl's endocrine levels were normal and her serum minoxidil and its metabolites were undetectable. Minoxidil was removed from the infant's environment totally and the girl shed terminal hairs 24 weeks later with no permanent sequelae.Author comment: "The [minoxidil] had been discontinued 1 month before presentation, so minoxidil metabolites (t 1 /2 = 4.2 hours) were undetectable in our patient, but the timing of the hair growth after minoxidil exposure and the normalization of hair growth after its discontinuation strongly suggest that it was the culprit in our case." Farsani TT, et al. Piggyback-acquired hypertrichosis. Pediatric Dermatology 31: 520-2, No. 4, Jul 2014. Available from: URL: http://doi.