Response of Alopecia Areata of the Beard to Oral Tofacitinib

The document reports on a retrospective study examining the effectiveness of oral tofacitinib in treating alopecia areata of the beard (BAA). The study included 45 male patients with scalp alopecia areata (SAA) who were treated with oral tofacitinib at a specialist hair clinic between July 2016 and August 2019. Patients were included if they were aged ≥18 years, had BAA, and were treated with oral tofacitinib for ≥3 months. The Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score was used to quantify scalp hair loss, and beard regrowth was assessed through independent observer evaluation of global photographs. The results showed that 10 men achieved complete beard regrowth after 5.0-28.0 months of treatment, with a mean disease duration of 93.2 months among those with complete beard regrowth. Additionally, 60% of men with complete beard regrowth also achieved complete scalp hair regrowth. There were no serious adverse events reported, and mild adverse events included upper respiratory infections, elevated liver transaminases, fatigue, and acne. The study concluded that there is a strong correlation between the extent of beard and scalp hair regrowth, suggesting that oral tofacitinib might be a promising therapeutic option for patients with BAA. The authors recommend that future clinical trials on JAK inhibitors for AA should include beard assessment in their protocols.