Complete Regrowth of Beard Hair with Ruxolitinib in an Alopecia Universalis Patient

September 2017 in “ Skin appendage disorders ”

Yuval Ramot, Abraham Zlotogorski

ruxolitinib Janus kinase inhibitor JAK inhibitor alopecia universalis alopecia areata scalp hair regrowth beard hair regrowth

Studysummary This report describes a case where treatment with the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib significantly improved beard growth in a patient with severe alopecia areata, emphasizing its potential benefits for populations where beard hair holds cultural significance. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

A 33-year-old ultraorthodox Jewish man with a long history of alopecia universalis (AU) experienced complete regrowth of his beard after 4 months of treatment with ruxolitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, at a dosage of 20 mg twice daily. This treatment also led to partial regrowth of scalp hair. The case highlighted the significant psychological and social impact of beard hair loss in certain cultural and religious contexts and demonstrated the potential of JAK inhibitors as an effective treatment for severe forms of alopecia areata (AA), including AU. The patient maintained full beard hair and 50% of scalp hair after 1 year of treatment, significantly improving his quality of life.

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research Alopecia Areata of the Beard: A Review of the Literature

16 citations , May 2017 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology”

This review discusses the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment options for alopecia areata of the beard and reports no new clinical results.

research Two Cases of Alopecia Areata Treated with Ruxolitinib: A Discussion of Ideal Dosing and Laboratory Monitoring

25 citations , March 2017 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

In this case report, two women with chronic alopecia areata and acute alopecia universalis experienced sustained and near-complete hair regrowth after over a year of treatment with oral ruxolitinib, without significant side effects.

research Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Dermatology: A Systematic Review

116 citations , February 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This systematic review found that Janus kinase inhibitors have shown beneficial effects for psoriasis and alopecia areata, with promising preliminary results in other skin conditions, though more research is needed to define dosing and safety profiles.

research Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata and Variants: A Study of 90 Patients

238 citations , November 2016 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

In this study, tofacitinib was reported to improve scalp hair regrowth in patients with severe alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, and alopecia universalis, showing a higher response in alopecia areata.

research Safety and Efficacy of the JAK Inhibitor Tofacitinib Citrate in Patients with Alopecia Areata

222 citations , September 2016 in “JCI insight”

This research overview highlights that although JAK inhibitors show promise as potential treatments for alopecia areata based on recent insights into the disease mechanism, their efficacy has not yet been thoroughly evaluated in a systematic manner.

research Oral Ruxolitinib Induces Hair Regrowth in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata

196 citations , September 2016 in “JCI insight”

This study explored the effectiveness of the oral JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib in treating patients with moderate-to-severe alopecia areata, building on prior success with JAK inhibitors in mice, but results are not reported in this abstract.

research Beard Alopecia Areata: A Multicenter Review of 55 Patients

17 citations , August 2016 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

This study reported that 45.5% of patients with beard alopecia areata progressed to scalp alopecia areata within at least 12 months, with most cases occurring during the first year.

research A Novel Therapeutic Paradigm for Patients with Extensive Alopecia Areata

30 citations , May 2016 in “Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy”

This review discusses immune pathways involved in alopecia areata and explores emerging, more targeted therapeutic strategies, noting their potential for better safety and effectiveness compared to traditional immune suppressants.

research A Systematic Review of Pulse Steroid Therapy for Alopecia Areata

50 citations , January 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This systematic review of pulse corticosteroid therapy for alopecia areata found relatively low complete response rates, but responders experienced low relapse rates, indicating potential benefits for patients with favorable prognostic factors.

research Rapid Skin Repigmentation on Oral Ruxolitinib in a Patient with Coexistent Vitiligo and Alopecia Areata

157 citations , December 2015 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This case study reported significant but temporary hair regrowth and skin repigmentation in a patient with vitiligo and alopecia areata during treatment with oral ruxolitinib.

research Reversal of Alopecia Areata Following Treatment With the JAK1/2 Inhibitor Baricitinib

184 citations , February 2015 in “EBioMedicine”

This study observed that baricitinib treatment led to significant improvement in a patient's alopecia areata symptoms and suggests further clinical trials to explore its potential as a treatment.

research The Genetics Of Alopecia Areata: New Approaches, New Findings, New Treatments

62 citations , January 2015 in “Journal of Dermatological Science”

This review summarizes the current genetic research on alopecia areata, including potential new therapeutic strategies, but reports no new clinical findings.

research Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata with Intralesional Steroid Injections

60 citations , October 2009 in “PubMed”

This study reports that intralesional triamcinolone acetonide was effective and well-tolerated for treating extensive alopecia areata in patients who often showed specific initial hair characteristics.