Topical minoxidil is an FDA approved product for adults to combat hair loss and to regrow lost hair in people suffering from progressive hair loss. It’s a safe drug that can be used by women and men alike.
But sometimes, people ask if babies or children can use minoxidil who suffer from hair loss one way or another.
If you don’t wish to read the entire article, the answer is a resounding NO.
It’s dangerous for children, and especially babies, to use minoxidil. Particularly if using a dosage reserved for adults who weigh a lot more and are fully developed.
Let me explain why babies and children shouldn’t use minoxidil.
Why is it dangerous for babies and children to use minoxidil?
Minoxidil topical solution is considered an unsafe product for babies and children! Hence, why it should be kept far away and stored in a safe place out of reach of children and babies.
Minoxidil is only FDA approved for adults with genetic hair loss. The product is considered safe to use for both men and women.
Studies about the safety of minoxidil in babies and children
One particular study performed a literature search in MEDLINE through PubMed about topical minoxidil and oral minoxidil usage in pediatric population.
The search was restricted to articles about humans and available in English. They found 25 relevant studies. They concluded the following:
This article pointed out the use of minoxidil in several pediatric hair diseases.
Even when used topically, dermatologists should be aware of potential risks of systemic absorption.
In particular situations, OMX in very low doses may be considered.
To date, there are no guidelines regarding the ideal dose or minimum age for using the drug topically or systemically.[1]https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dth.13950
The following study agreed that topical minoxidil solution should be considered an unsafe product for children.
The study reports a case of significant intoxication after the ingestion of topical minoxidil. A 7-year-old girl accidentally ingested a teaspoon of minoxidil hair solution. The child was presented to the pediatric emergency department for emesis.
This is what they found out:
At admission, she had a blood pressure of 86/56 mm Hg and a pulse of 149 beats per minute.
Hypotension lasted 40 hours with the lowest value 24 hours after ingestion (79/33 mm Hg).
She presented electrocardiogram changes (sinus tachycardia and flattening T-waves) but normal cardiac enzymes. Her blood pressure normalized on day 2.
Minoxidil topical solution is an unsafe product for children. This formulation should be strictly kept out of reach of children.[2]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268875716_Minoxidil_Topical_Solution_An_Unsafe_Product_for_Children
Lastly, this study looked at accidental minoxidil exposure in a pediatric
population. Specifically looking at the cutaneous and systemic side effects. It reached the following conclusion:
We report high-dose minoxidil adverse events in a group of paediatric patients.
The facial area as the first affected location, the high proportion of patients showing long-lasting hypertrichosis are facts which show a novel insight into the effects of oral minoxidil in the paediatric population.
Moreover, treatment time seem to be related to the appearance of hypertrichosis. This information may be useful for further studies and clinical applications involving the use of topical or systemic minoxidil in children with alopecia.[3]https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/jcm/jcm-10-04257/article_deploy/jcm-10-04257-v2.pdf
Conclusion
The most significant and potentially dangerous side effects of accidental minoxidil use in babies and children are hypotension, tachycardia and hypertrichosis.
Since minoxidil is only FDA approved for usage in adults, I wouldn’t risk or recommend using it on babies or children.
If you are worried about alopecia areata in your child, please consult your health care practitioner in order to find the appropriate plan of action instead of starting to apply minoxidil to your child or baby!