Araoye EF, Thomas JAL, Aguh CU. Hair regrowth in 2 patients with recalcitrant central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia after use of topical metformin. JAAD Case Rep. 2020 Jan 22;6(2):106-108
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS:
Given the often mild symptoms of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), patient typically present at lat stages with large areas of scarring
Metformin is a medication typically used to treat diabetes and has been shown in animal studies to improve scaring.
The study demonstrated the improvement of patients with late stage CCCA using topical compounded metformin 10% after failure with traditional therapies.
COMMENTS
Late stage CCCA is often difficult to treat with limited therapies offering benefit.
Topical compounded metformin 10% is new and interesting treatment option for late stage CCCA. It should be studied in more detail to assess the mechanism of action and long term efficacy.