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DNCB & Alopecia

Alopecia areata is a skin disease that produces hair loss. According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), it affects about 4.7 million Americans. Total hair loss on the head (a. totalis) and body (a. universalis) are rare.

  1. Safety

    • In 1999 the FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee revealed that dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) mutates DNA and affects cell genetic integrity and that 53 percent of the DNCB applied to the skin penetrated internally. In animals DNCB depleted glutathione, an important antioxidant. Besides local burning, itching and blistering, DNCB was found to lead to systemic toxicity in distant parts of the body as well.

    Effectiveness

    • Controlled studies on DNCB's effects on alopecia are almost non-existent. Its effectiveness is difficult to assess because alopecia is cyclic and may come and go without treatment. In one study, 36 of 46 patients experienced hair growth.

    Other Developments

    • Recent news published by NAAF shows that alopecia areata may be genetically linked with rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease and type 1 diabetes. However, celiac, or gluten intolerance, was found to arise from the same set of conditions as other autoimmune diseases, such as alopecia areata, leading to hope that developing treatments for diseases such as celiac may address alopecia as well.

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