Adverse event reports of alopecia for sunscreen ingredients and branded products

Summary: Abstract Body: As sunscreen use has increased, questions regarding its effects on hair have been raised. Recent reports have demonstrated a correlation between sunscreen use and frontal fibrosing alopecia, yet investigations into specific sunscreen products or ingredient combinations and their association with alopecia are lacking. This study used the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System to examine associations between sunscreen products and reports of general alopecia. Sunscreen ingredients were determined from DrugBank, and sunscreen brands were identified using online product searches. Disproportionality analyses, including proportional reporting ratio, reporting odds ratio, and empirical Bayesian geometric mean were calculated. Of 723 sunscreen products/ingredients, avobenzone/octinoxate/octisalate/octocrylene/oxybenzone had significantly disproportional alopecia reports by all three analytical methods (7 reports, ROR = 22.971 (1.784, 6.018), PRR = 19.832 (1.845, 5.474), EBGM = 19.832 (1.543, 5.777)). No other ingredient combinations or branded products had disproportionate alopecia reports compared to general event reporting. As disproportionality measures do not estimate risks and do not guarantee product safety, future studies should assess temporal associations between sunscreen product use and alopecia development. Meanwhile, the lack of association of many common sunscreen ingredients and combinations (such as preparations containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) with reports of alopecia may reassure patients regarding their choices for sun protection despite hair loss concerns. Payton Trimark¹, Victor L. Quan¹, Janaya Nelson¹, Edward B. Li¹, Maria Colavincenzo¹ 1. Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States. Clinical Research: Epidemiology and Observational Research