Use of Facial Care Products and Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Coincidence or True Association?

July 2021 in “ The Journal of Dermatology ”

Waroonphan Leecharoen, Kanchalit Thanomkitti, Rattapon Thuangtong, Supenya Varothai, Daranporn Triwongwaranat, Sukhum Jiamton, Kanokvalai Kulthanan

TLDR Facial care products are not linked to causing frontal fibrosing alopecia.

This study investigated the potential association between facial care products and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) in Asian females, involving 250 participants (50 FFA patients, 100 pattern hair loss [PHL] patients, and 100 normal controls). The findings indicated that moisturizer use was significantly higher in the FFA group compared to normal controls, and sunscreen use was significantly higher in the PHL group. Both FFA and PHL subjects reported higher use of sunscreen and moisturizer than controls. The study concluded that the use of facial care products was not linked to the disease mechanism of FFA but was related to appearance-related concerns.

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