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Permalink Reply by BaldGirlsDoLunch.org on April 17, 2009 at 8:05pm

Are you referring to DPCP ( diphenylcyclopropenone) or SADBE ( squaric acid dibutyl ester)? How old is your son?

Is this at the office of Dr. Jerry Shapiro in British Columbia ? (he has the most experience of anyone with DPCP).

Do lots of homework and grill the doctor, whoever it is, very carefully about potential risks and side-effects of the treatment. DPCP must be done in the proper concentrations to avoid blistering...though early on it was thought that a blistering had to occur for the treatment to be effective. That is no longer the case.

Though doctors will say about DPCP there are no "known" harmful effects down the road, nobody knows if there are or not. There have been no published studies to follow-up people for years or decades after this treatment. It's a big giant question mark.

DPCP grows hair for 40% of the people who get the treatment. When you look at the success rate in the same people 5 years later, most have not retained their hair. I will look for the link to the journal articles that report these results.

To get you started, I recommend reading part of what hair researcher Dr. Kevin McElwee says:

" ...Once the correct dose has been found the frequency of treatment is determined. Application may be required once a week in the initial stages to kick start hair growth. Later the frequency of application may be reduced to a maintenance dose. As with all forms of alopecia areata treatment the chemicals have to continue to be applied and continue to induce a skin reaction for hair growth to persist. If you stop the treatment the hair will gradually fall out again.

When an irritant treatment is correctly applied you should develop a red rash and feel itchy but nothing more. The dermatologist will recommend you keep the irritant on your scalp for a period of time that varies depending on how sensitive your skin is and the personal preference of the dermatologist. You may have to avoid washing your scalp for several hours or even a couple of days depending on your dermatologists recommendations. You may also be directed to cover your scalp when outside as sunlight degrades such chemicals as DPCP and SADBE rendering them ineffective. Because DPCP and SADBE are biodegradable they have a limited storage life and solutions have to be made up fresh on a regular basis.

Because of the irritation from the chemicals it is important not to touch your scalp or let any one else touch it with their bare hands. You do not want to spread the irritant to other areas of skin or to other people. You may have to cover your head, especially when sleeping, to stop the irritant spreading and getting onto bedclothes and eventually on to your face or worse, your partner.

If the treatment works and hair growth develops some dermatologists will trust you to apply the irritant chemicals yourself as a maintenance dose at home. Other dermatologists believe the chemicals are too powerful, could be inappropriately applied by the patient, and will want you to attend the dermatology clinic to ensure safe and proper treatment."


Let us know which treatment has been proposed.

Thea
baldgirlsdolunch.org

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Permalink Reply by Debbie Lopas on April 20, 2009 at 1:13pm

Yes, I am referring to CPCP. My son is 11. It is being done at his dermatologists office in Michigan. Do you think it is a bad treatment? It seems as if it is done in the proper doses, it may be beneficial. What are your thoughts?

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