TLDR Tofacitinib, an arthritis drug, helped hair growth in alopecia universalis but long-term safety needs more research.
The document from 2016 reported on the use of tofacitinib citrate, a drug approved for rheumatoid arthritis, in treating alopecia universalis. It described two cases where patients experienced progressive hair growth after prolonged administration of tofacitinib, with no adverse events noted after 9 months. Despite these positive outcomes, the authors warned of potential serious side effects from long-term use of Janus kinase inhibitors and called for clinical trials to assess the treatment's efficacy and safety for alopecia universalis. The exact number of participants was not provided.
41 citations,
December 2015 in “JAMA Dermatology” Tofacitinib citrate improved nail dystrophy and pain in patients with alopecia universalis without causing side effects.
162 citations,
October 2014 in “Autoimmunity reviews” Alopecia areata is caused by the immune system attacking hair follicles.
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.
370 citations,
September 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Finasteride and minoxidil are effective for hair loss, but continued research is needed for better treatments.
October 2022 in “Journal of Armed Forces Medical College, Bangladesh” Tofacitinib is effective and safe for treating alopecia areata.
September 2022 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” The registry showed that tofacitinib is promising for treating hair loss in children with alopecia areata, but more research is needed.
June 2022 in “Frontiers in Immunology” Tofacitinib regrew hair in a man with total hair loss but raised cytokine levels, needing more research on possible side effects.
1 citations,
October 2020 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Using minoxidil and tofacitinib together can effectively treat severe hair loss.
4 citations,
July 2018 in “PubMed” Oral and topical tofacitinib can help regrow hair in people with severe alopecia areata.
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.
130 citations,
February 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Tofacitinib may help treat severe hair loss, but more research is needed.
24 citations,
June 2016 in “Acta dermato-venereologica” Tofacitinib helped a young woman's severe hair loss and arthritis but not her plaque psoriasis.
