Quality of life in women with female pattern hair loss and the impact of topical minoxidil treatment on quality of life in these patients

Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is the most common hair loss disorder in women and it may impact on the psychological and social activities of patients, thereby reducing their quality of life (QoL). Topical minoxidil has been shown to be effective and safe in the treatment of patients with FPHL. The aim of this study was to assess the QoL of patients with FPHL and investigate whether topical minoxidil solution treatment improves the QoL of these patients. In this study, we enrolled 125 female patients aged 16–72 years to answer visual analog scale (VAS) and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) questionnaires. Of these patients, 31 were recruited for the follow-up study after 12 months of treatment with 2% minoxidil. Each index and the change in QoL prior to and following treatment were statistically analyzed. There was identified to be a correlation between clinical severity and the values of the indices in all patients. There was a statistically significant difference between the VAS and DLQI scores prior to and following treatment with 2% minoxidil. A comparison between the good responders (n=23) and the poor responders (n=8) revealed no significant difference in the improvement of VAS and DLQI scores. The QoL of the patients was severely impaired by FPHL. The DLQI and VAS used in this study were validated as useful indices for the evaluation of QoL due to their high reliability, sensitivity and simplicity. This evaluation is recommended for the management of FPHL treatment. The results of the study demonstrated that topical minoxidil improved the QoL of the patients.