TLDR Alopecia universalis can be an early sign of HIV.
Highly active antiretroviral therapy has increased the life expectancy of HIV-positive patients, leading to a shift in the spectrum of associated comorbidities, including dermatologic disorders. Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease that disrupts the hair cycle, and alopecia universalis is a rare variant of AA. There are very few reported cases of alopecia universalis in HIV-positive patients, and none have been documented in Portugal.
15 citations,
October 2006 in “Journal of Cutaneous Pathology” HIV-1 may cause increased stem cell death in hair follicles, leading to hair loss.
46 citations,
January 1996 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” People with late-stage HIV-1 often experience a specific type of hair loss linked to multiple factors, including nutritional issues and immune responses.
October 2022 in “Journal of Armed Forces Medical College, Bangladesh” Tofacitinib is effective and safe for treating alopecia areata.
49 citations,
June 2018 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Applying 2% tofacitinib cream helped some children with severe hair loss grow back hair.
24 citations,
January 2017 in “Acta dermato-venereologica” Tofacitinib helped a young woman's severe hair loss and arthritis but not her plaque psoriasis.
