Efficacy and Safety of Diphenylcyclopropenone Alone or in Combination with Anthralin in the Treatment of Chronic Extensive Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Case Series

February 2015 in “ Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ”

Murat Durdu, Deren Özcan, Mete Baba, Denız Seckın

diphenylcyclopropenone DPCP anthralin alopecia areata folliculitis hyperpigmentation

TLDR Combining diphenylcyclopropenone with anthralin is more effective for hair regrowth in alopecia areata than using diphenylcyclopropenone alone, but may cause more side effects.

In a retrospective case series from 2015, the efficacy and safety of diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) alone or in combination with anthralin for treating chronic extensive alopecia areata (AA) were evaluated in 47 patients. The study found that the combination therapy was superior to DPCP alone, with 72% of patients in the combination group experiencing complete hair regrowth compared to 36.4% in the DPCP only group (P = .01). Additionally, the combination therapy resulted in higher regrowth rates of eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard (P = .01), although the duration of hair regrowth was shorter. Side effects like folliculitis, hyperpigmentation, and staining were more common in the combination therapy group. The study's limitations included its retrospective design and the small number of patients.

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Research cited in this study

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research Clinical Efficacy of Diphenylcyclopropenone in Alopecia Areata: Retrospective Data Analysis of 50 Patients

14 citations, August 2014 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) is effective in treating alopecia areata, with most patients showing significant hair regrowth.

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Some people with severe, long-lasting baldness responded well to a specific combination treatment.

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Half of people with Alopecia Areata may see hair regrowth within a year without treatment, but recovery is unpredictable.

research Alopecia Areata Update

244 citations, January 2010 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

The document says current treatments for alopecia areata do not cure or prevent it, and it's hard to judge their effectiveness due to spontaneous remission and lack of studies.

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37 citations, September 2009 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

Diphencyprone (DPC) is an effective and safe long-term treatment for alopecia areata, especially with maintenance therapy.

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27 citations, May 2007 in “Archives of dermatological research”

Diphencyprone treatment increases CD8 lymphocytes in the scalp, which is associated with hair regrowth in alopecia areata patients.

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29 citations, January 2004 in “Experimental Dermatology”

Topical anthralin helped regrow hair in mice with a condition similar to human alopecia.

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132 citations, November 1998 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Topical sensitizers have mixed success in treating alopecia areata.

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46 citations, June 1990 in “Archives of dermatology”

Combining 5% minoxidil and 0.5% anthralin can help regrow hair in some severe alopecia areata patients.

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DPCP is more effective than tretinoin gel for treating severe alopecia.

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109 citations, November 1987 in “Archives of dermatology”

Anthralin cream helped 25% of patients with severe alopecia areata regrow hair, but caused skin irritation.

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