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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
Ciclopirox vs Dapsone (topical): Dapsone (topical) has the stronger overall evidence (6 vs 5/10); the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Dapsone (topical) wins 2 of 3 categories. Both are solid choices — the best pick depends on your specific goals.
Verdict
Mostly mechanism / observational
Top outcomes
Verdict
Mostly mechanism / observational
Top outcomes
Ciclopirox 8% nail lacquer applied once daily over the entire nail plate and about 5 mm of surrounding skin, on all affected nails. Removed weekly with alcohol, with loose nail trimmed back. Continue for 48 weeks. A prescription medicine and a clinician's decision.
evening
Ciclopirox 8% nail lacquer
Dapsone 5% gel applied twice daily, or dapsone 7.5% gel applied once daily, to the affected area. Twelve weeks is the trial duration on which the approvals rest. A prescription medicine and a clinician's decision.
morning, evening
Dapsone 5% gel
long-term
long-term
long-term
long-term
long-term
short-term
immediate
long-term
Topical and device-based treatments for fungal infections of the toenails
Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2020) · Meta analysis · n=12501
56 studies, 12,501 participants. Only three were rated low risk of bias across all domains; the commonest high-risk domain was performance bias.
Therapies for onychomycosis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of mycological cure
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc (2015) · Meta analysis
Network meta-analysis, needed because onychomycosis treatments are seldom compared head to head.
Ciclopirox 8% nail lacquer in the treatment of onychomycosis of the toenails in the United States
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc (2000) · Review
Reports the two pivotal US double-blind vehicle-controlled trials behind the FDA approval, alongside ten studies conducted worldwide.
Efficacy and safety of dapsone gel for acne: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Ann Palliat Med (2022) · Meta analysis · n=11424
7 trials, 11,424 participants, searched across seven databases including four Chinese-language ones.
Two randomized studies demonstrate the efficacy and safety of dapsone gel, 5% for the treatment of acne vulgaris
J Am Acad Dermatol (2007) · Rct · n=3010
Two identically designed 12-week randomised double-blind vehicle-controlled studies, 3,010 patients aged 12 and over, twice-daily monotherapy.
The efficacy and tolerability of dapsone 5% gel in female vs male patients with facial acne vulgaris: gender as a clinically relevant outcome variable
J Drugs Dermatol (2012) · Rct · n=2898
POST-HOC pooled analysis of the two identical phase 3 vehicle-controlled trials (DAP0203 and DAP0204), 2,898 patients, US and Canada, 2002-2003. Sex was not randomised.
Dapsone (topical) has a higher evidence score (6/10 vs 5/10) and wins in 2 of 3 categories.
No known interactions between Ciclopirox and Dapsone (topical) have been documented in our database. However, always consult a healthcare provider before combining supplements.
The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.