Topical minoxidil. A survey of use and complications.

To obtain data on clinicians' experiences with topical minoxidil, we performed a mail survey of one in six members of the American Academy of Dermatology. Sixty-one percent of this random sample of dermatologists responded. More than 70% of these reported they had prescribed topical minoxidil for hair loss. The frequency of prescribing varied substantially among dermatologists, with less than 10% of respondents being responsible for over half the reported prescriptions. Only 2% of prescribers reported complications other than local irritation that they associated with topical minoxidil therapy, but underreporting of noncutaneous side effects in this survey of dermatologists cannot be excluded.