Topical Minoxidil in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata and Male-Pattern Alopecia

To the Editor.— Having read the articles by Weiss et al, 1 Fenton and Wilkinson, 2 Maitland, 3 and Hindson et al, 4 we would like to present the results of our work on the treatment of alopecia. A 1% minoxidil topical preparation in a cream base was used in 28 cases of alopecia areata (AA) and 40 cases of male-pattern alopecia (MPA). The evaluation was made within a period of six months. The efficacy of treatment with minoxidil was determined using the criteria of Weiss et al, 1 and the involution of Hamilton's criteria for classification 5 in MPA. The same cream base, without minoxidil, was used as a placebo. Topical cream was rubbed onto the hairless patch until the patients felt a slight warm sensation. A total of 54 patients (27 men and 27 women) with AA, aged 8 to 72 years (mean, 35.4 years), with duration of AA