Background: Oral tetracyclines (TCNs) are commonly prescribed for acne, but they have been shown to increase the risk of hyperpigmentation, particularly in the setting of sun exposure.
Objective: We evaluated seasonal trends in TCN-associated hyperpigmentation incidence in addition to Google search trends for hyperpigmentation-related terms.
Methods: We performed a retrospective review of acne patients seen at Massachusetts General Brigham and Women’s Hospital between 1992 and 2022. We calculated the incidence of new hyperpigmentation diagnoses for each drug cohort. We also analyzed search volume of hyperpigmentation-related terms extracted from Google Trends.
Results: Seasonal differences in new hyperpigmentation diagnoses were identified among acne patients prescribed doxycycline (P=0.016), with peak incidence in April. In the control group of patients who had never received a TCN, diagnoses peaked in May. There were no significant seasonal differences among patients prescribed minocycline (P=0.885). There was greater search volume for hyperpigmentation-related terms in spring and summer compared to fall and winter (P<0.001). Limitations of this study include its retrospective nature and reliance on prescription and diagnosis coding data.
Conclusions: Our findings support the seasonal periodicity of acne-related hyperpigmentation, underscoring the importance of photoprotection counseling for patients with acne. Additionally, doxycycline may be associated with an earlier onset of hyperpigmentation, suggesting a potential benefit of considering minocycline or other alternatives to doxycycline. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(11):e9-e11 doi:10.36849/JDD.7409e.