TLDR A Korean woman with complete hair loss regrew her hair after taking tofacitinib, with no side effects.
In 2017, a 28-year-old Korean woman with alopecia universalis experienced significant hair regrowth after treatment with tofacitinib citrate, a selective JAK 1/3 inhibitor. Her alopecia areata began at age 20 and progressed to alopecia universalis within three years. Previous treatments, including minoxidil, methotrexate, and platelet-rich plasma injections, were ineffective. After starting tofacitinib at a dosage of 5 mg twice daily, she saw remarkable hair regrowth within two weeks, and by 32 weeks, she had full scalp hair regrowth with no recurrence of alopecia universalis. Laboratory tests showed no abnormalities, and the patient reported no side effects. This case supports the potential of JAK inhibitors as a treatment for alopecia areata and represents the first report of successful tofacitinib therapy for alopecia universalis in Korea.
70 citations,
April 2016 in “Experimental Dermatology” A patient with alopecia areata regrew hair after taking tofacitinib and showed changes in certain blood and skin markers.
41 citations,
December 2015 in “JAMA Dermatology” Tofacitinib citrate improved nail dystrophy and pain in patients with alopecia universalis without causing side effects.
184 citations,
February 2015 in “EBioMedicine” A patient with Alopecia Areata had complete hair regrowth after using the drug baricitinib.
701 citations,
August 2014 in “Nature medicine” Alopecia areata can be reversed by JAK inhibitors, promoting hair regrowth.
185 citations,
June 2014 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” A man with severe hair loss and skin disease regrew his hair with no side effects after taking tofacitinib.
16 citations,
April 2014 in “Anais brasileiros de dermatologia/Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia” A patient lost all their hair while on rheumatoid arthritis medication.
717 citations,
June 2010 in “Nature” Alopecia areata involves both innate and adaptive immunity, with specific genes linked to the disease.
295 citations,
January 2006 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Alopecia areata, a common autoimmune hair loss condition, often runs in families.
7 citations,
April 2021 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Topical tofacitinib may effectively and safely regrow facial hair in some people with alopecia areata.
January 2021 in “Our Dermatology Online” Oral tofacitinib successfully treated total body hair loss in one patient.
3 citations,
August 2020 in “Case Reports in Dermatology” Tofacitinib treatment significantly improved a patient's psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and alopecia universalis.
27 citations,
September 2018 in “Skin appendage disorders” Hair transplantation may work for some types of scarring alopecia, but results vary and more research is needed.
49 citations,
May 2018 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Applying 2% tofacitinib cream helped some children with severe hair loss grow back hair.
8 citations,
May 2017 in “Singapore Medical Journal” A Korean woman with complete hair loss regrew her hair after taking tofacitinib, with no side effects.
26 citations,
October 2016 in “Case Reports in Dermatology” A man with severe hair loss saw hair and nail improvement after 10 months on tofacitinib without side effects.
70 citations,
April 2016 in “Experimental Dermatology” A patient with alopecia areata regrew hair after taking tofacitinib and showed changes in certain blood and skin markers.
