Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Environmental Factors

Increasing incidence of frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) suggests that environmental factors may be related to the pathogenesis. Recent studies reported potential association between the use of facial care products and frontal fibrosing alopecia. However, the high frequency use of moisturizer and sunscreen does not cause frontal fibrosing alopecia, suggest a recent study. The study is published in the Journal of Dermatology.

About Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA)

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a relatively newly described scarring alopecia known as a clinical variant of lichen planopilaris. Frontal fibrosing alopecia is characterized by slowly progressive scarring alopecia on the hairline and affects explicitly postmenopausal women.

The Study

Waroonphan Leecharoen and colleagues from the Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand conducted the study with the aim to investigate the possible association between the use of facial care products and frontal fibrosing alopecia in Asian females.

Methodology

The authors included a total of 250 females, out of which:

• 50 were frontal fibrosing alopecia patients
• 100 patients had pattern hair loss (PHL)
• 100 normal controls were recruited

Participants completed a questionnaire to obtain information approximately facial care products and various environmental factors.

Results

The results showed:

• The use of moisturizer was significantly higher in the frontal fibrosing alopecia group compared to normal controls (p < 0.001).
• Sunscreen use was significantly higher in the pattern hair loss group than in the control group (adjusted p < 0.001).
• Subjects with frontal fibrosing alopecia or pattern hair loss reported significantly higher use of both sunscreen and moisturizer compared to normal controls (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This study focused on Asian populations. The results revealed a high frequency of moisturizer and sunscreen use in both frontal fibrosing alopecia and pattern hair loss among Asian females. Therefore, it was concluded that the use of facial care products appears not to be linked to the true disease mechanism of frontal fibrosing alopecia, but rather to appearance-related concerns of patients.

For more details, visit the study: https://doi.org/10.1111/1346-8138.16063