Strange squaric acid routine - thoughts?

I was diagnosed with alopecia areata in May 2013. It started as a small, dime-sized area on my chin which has grown to cover much of my beard and has spread to the back of my head. I've been visiting my dermatologist who prescribed me cortisone shots to the chin, which I took for 3 months but my condition continued to spread.

In my most recent visit, my dermatologist prescribed me squaric acid. He wrote a prescription for a .4% solution and directed me to apply it every night before bed. Later that night, I did some research and every single article I read about this therapy required a sensitization period before starting elicitation (low dose) applications. On top of that, I've found on these forums that .4% for daily use is extraordinarily high!

My question is, has anyone had this treatment without sensitization? I've been using this for about 2 weeks and have not had any reaction to it at all (save for a brief burning sensation after applying, which I assume is just the acetone). Since .4% is quite high, especially on a daily basis, I feel like I should be blistering up all over the place.

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Permalink Reply by Rose Marie' on November 28, 2013 at 3:01pm

Hi

I think it may be worthwhile to discuss this with your physician.  If you have concerns I'm sure your doctor will be able to to help.

Rosy

Permalink Reply by Dan S on November 28, 2013 at 8:30pm

Thank you for the response Rose Marie :) This particular doctor takes a while to see, and the nurses don't like to hear about patient "research" online...I was just seeing if anyone had success with this treatment without first sensitizing to the chemical.

Permalink Reply by Jason on November 28, 2013 at 9:39pm

I believe the sensitization is just to see if your body will react to the solution or not. It doesn't necessarily need to blister or itch, getting a red reaction is a good sign and it doesn't happen one night. It takes time. I know a few people that have had success with it. .4% is strong, I started with .2% and I know a lot of people who had success with a much less percentage than that. Be patient with it and see how it goes. Please keep us posted on your progress, I hear it takes a minimum of 8+ weeks before you see any type of results. Any more questions, please let me know and I will do my best to help. I am currently using it myself. Thanks. 

Permalink Reply by Dan S on November 29, 2013 at 12:37am

Thanks Jason. I couldn't find much on the purpose of sensitization in my research. I'm hoping that the process is how you said - to see how the body will react to the solution. I'll keep at it for a while longer then and post any progress.

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