A Single-Centre, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Minoxidil Topical Foam in Frontotemporal and Vertex Androgenetic Alopecia in Men

BACKGROUND: 5% minoxidil formulations twice daily are effective in treating vertex male androgenetic alopecia (AGA); however, efficacy and safety data in frontotemporal regions are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of 5% minoxidil topical foam (5% MTF) in the frontotemporal region of male AGA patients after 24 weeks of treatment compared to placebo treatment and to the vertex region. METHODS: Seventy males with moderate AGA applied 5% MTF or placebo foam (plaTF) twice daily for 24 weeks in frontotemporal and vertex regions. Target area non-vellus hair count (TAHC) was the primary end point. RESULTS: Frontotemporal and vertex TAHC and target area cumulative non-vellus hair width (TAHW) showed similar responses to 5% MTF with significant increases up to week 16 compared to baseline (p < 0.001). After 24 weeks of treatment, frontotemporal TAHW increased significantly in the 5% MTF group compared to the plaTF group (p = 0.017), while TAHC showed a similar non-significant increase from baseline in both regions. At 24 weeks, 5% MTF users rated a significant improvement in scalp coverage for the frontotemporal (p = 0.016) and vertex areas (p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: 5% MTF twice a day promotes hair density and width in both frontotemporal and vertex regions in men with moderate stages of AGA.