Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia: Retrospective Case-Control Study of 54 Patients from a Tertiary Care Center

May 2025 in “ International Journal of Women’s Dermatology ”

Katherine Wang, Thaís Pincelli, Ashley B. Wentworth, Launia J. White, Zhuo Li, Olayemi Sokumbi, Alison J. Bruce

central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia CCCA scarring alopecia oral antibiotics 5α-reductase inhibitors hydroxychloroquine genetic predisposition high-tension hairstyles heating tools chemical relaxants hair relaxers hair straighteners

TLDR CCCA mainly affects Black women and is linked to high-tension hairstyles, heating tools, chemical relaxants, and genetics.

This retrospective case-control study of 54 patients with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) compared to 270 controls with non-CCCA scarring alopecia found that CCCA predominantly affects Black women and is associated with high-tension hairstyles, heating tools, and chemical relaxants. CCCA patients were less likely to report improvement following treatment and were more frequently treated with oral antibiotics, while less likely to receive oral 5α-reductase inhibitors or hydroxychloroquine. A positive family history of alopecia was more common among CCCA patients, indicating a genetic predisposition. The study emphasizes the need for further research into effective treatments for CCCA, acknowledging limitations due to its retrospective design and data source.