Abstract:ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of Baicao lotion(BL) combined with minoxidil in treating androgenetic alopecia(AGA) across age groups. MethodsA total of 94 patients with AGA treated at the Hair Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital from January to June in 2024 were included. The patients were divided by age into a youth group(≤34 years, 34 cases), a middle-aged group(35-44 years, 26 cases), and an elderly group(≥45 years, 34 cases). Each group was randomly assigned to either a control group(5% minoxidil) or a treatment group(BL+5% minoxidil). The marked effectiveness rate, total effectiveness rate, hair density, and adverse reactions were compared among the groups. ResultsCombination therapy demonstrated superior efficacy to monotherapy across all age groups, though with a declining benefit gradient with advancing age: the overall response rate was 94.1% versus 82.4% in youth, 92.3% versus 76.9% in middle-aged, and 66.5% versus 58.8% in elderly patients. Hair density improvement showed age-dependent effects, with the most significant increase in youth and the least in elderly groups(P<0.05). Safety profiles were comparable across age groups(P>0.05), with mild pruritus(11.8%) mainly in youth, drug-induced dermatitis(15.4%) in middle-aged, and local erythema(11.8%) in elderly patients. No serious adverse events occurred. ConclusionThe efficacy of Baicao lotion combined with 5% minoxidil in treating AGA decreases with age, with the most significant benefit observed in the youth, and it demonstrates good safety across all age groups.