Journal of

Background and Aim: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of alopecia in men, worldwide and topical minoxidil appears to be the most effective and safe treatment for AGA beside oral finasteride. Safety assessment of topical minoxidil formulation could be conducted using in vivo studies on human volunteers. Using skin biophysical parameters is a fast and noninvasive method for safety assessment of topical products.

Methods: A topical combination of Minoxidil 5% solution in combination with chamomile extract from Iran’s pharmaceutical market tested on the skin of the forearm of 15 healthy volunteers. Changes in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration, pH, melanin and hemoglobin contents have been evaluated, using biometric assessments with MPA 580 Cutometer®.

Results: There was not any significant change in skin hydration (P=0.692), TEWL (P=0.191), stratum corneum pH (P=0.613), melanin (P=0.533), and hemoglobin (P=0.579) contents before and after topical minoxidil application.

Conclusion: No significant change detected in skin erythema and assessed parameters Application of minoxidil 5% + chamomile 7% topical solution on human volunteers has not shown any adverse effects and these formulations could be recommended to use.