Clinician Perspectives and Treatment Preferences for Calamine-Based Combination Formulations in Dermatological Practice

Abstract

Objective: The present study evaluates dermatologists’ perspectives and treatment preferences on the use of calamine lotion and its combination in the management of various dermatological conditions commonly encountered in clinical practice in India. Methodology: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 513 dermatology experts practicing in India, and a 23-item multiple-response questionnaire was used to capture expert insights and clinical experiences regarding the use of calamine lotion and its combinations with aloe vera and liquid paraffin across different dermatological conditions, including urticaria, eczema, and other pruritic disorders. Data visualization, including pie and bar charts, was performed using Microsoft Excel 2013. Results: Majority of clinicians (90.06%) preferred calamine as the topical agent of choice for urticaria, while 75% rarely used it as monotherapy for itchy skin. More than half of the respondents (51.46%) preferred aloe vera as a combination ingredient, and about 38% favored light liquid paraffin. Around 35% used the aloe vera-calamine combination in 26 to 50% of patients with pruritus, with almost 57% reporting extreme satisfaction with the aloe vera-calamine-liquid paraffin formulation. The combination was used by approximately 33% of clinicians in 31-40% of patients with miliaria and by 69% in fewer than 10% of patients with post-acne hyperpigmentation. Nearly 34% found it effective in 11–25% of diaper dermatitis cases, while 42% reported using it in fewer than 10% of patients with hand-foot-mouth disease. Conclusion: The survey highlights that calamine remains the preferred topical agent for urticaria among Indian dermatologists, although some studies favor its use in combination rather than as monotherapy. The aloe vera-calamine-liquid paraffin combination demonstrated better perceived efficacy, condition-specific use, being more common in inflammatory conditions such as miliaria and less frequent in disorders requiring targeted therapy, such as post-acne hyperpigmentation.