TLDR Diphencyprone can cause unexpected and possibly permanent vitiligo.
Diphencyprone (DCP) was used to treat two patients with extensive alopecia areata, but both developed vitiligo patches distant from the application site. A 37-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, neither with a personal or family history of vitiligo, exhibited these side effects, suggesting DCP directly caused the vitiligo. The unpredictability and potential permanence of this side effect highlight the need to inform patients about this risk before starting DCP treatment.
Cited in this study
5 / 5 results
13 citations
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June 2010 in “Journal of dermatological treatment” Diphencyprone is effective for treating patchy hair loss in alopecia areata, but tacrolimus is not.
10 citations
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January 2010 in “Acta dermato-venereologica” Light therapy can effectively treat vitiligo and hair loss caused by a specific medication.
14 citations
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December 2009 in “Clinical and experimental dermatology” Topical prostaglandin E2 can help treat both alopecia areata and vitiligo.
71 citations
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March 2009 in “Seminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery” Alopecia areata can cause unpredictable hair loss, and treatments like corticosteroids and minoxidil may help but have varying side effects.
48 citations
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May 1999 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Alopecia areata is an unpredictable autoimmune hair loss condition, treated based on severity, with half of patients regrowing hair within a year without treatment.
