Topical minoxidil reported hair discoloration: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Minoxidil is a widely utilized medication for various hair conditions, such as androgenic alopecia. The current literature lacks an original study that reports the possibility of this medication causing a well-noticed side effect, hair discoloration, among the treated patients. We conducted an observational study utilizing two face-validated questionnaires that experts, in dermatology, revised to assess the possibility of Minoxidil in inducing hair discoloration. This study was done in Saudi Arabia, and the data collection spanned October and November 2022. The first questionnaire was targeting the population, while the second was targeting practicing dermatologists. In survey 1, of 453 included patients, 56.7% of the participants were between the ages of 18-24, most of whom were females. Interestingly, 26% (n=118) noticed greying of hair and 14.8% (n=67) noticed other hair color changes. The hair discoloration was more prevalently noticed among the groups who used Minoxidil for a longer duration and among those with a family history of hair greying, with a p-value of 0.0001 for each group. Survey 2 was targeting dermatologists and was answered by 57 participants. Almost 60% of the physicians have ten years or more experience in Dermatology. 42.1% of the dermatologists noticed greying of hair on their patients after using Minoxidil. 17.5% of the physicians think Minoxidil caused hair greying. This observational study analyzed the data of more than 400 patients to assess the possibility of Minoxidil inducing hair discoloration; based on the data presented, we hypothesize that Minoxidil could be classified as a drug that potentially induces hair discoloration with more extended periods of usage and among those who have familial history of hair greying. Further confirmatory data are warranted to support such statement.

Keywords

• Minoxidil
• alopecia
• hair discoloration