A growing group of dermatologists is offering low-dose minoxidil pills, the treatment remains relatively unknown to most patients and many doctors. It has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this purpose and so is prescribed off-label — a common practice in dermatology.
It is used for. male and female pattern hair loss and also for telogen effluvium. At the low doses employed, it is safe and has few side-effects.
Here is the NY Times article on this treatment: Download An Old Medicine Remedies Hair Loss for Pennies a Day Doctors Say - The New York Times