TLDR Tofacitinib may be an effective and safe treatment for hair loss in teenagers with alopecia areata.
The document presents a case study of a 14-year-old male patient with severe and refractory alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune skin disorder causing hair loss, treated with tofacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. Previous treatments had yielded suboptimal results. Tofacitinib therapy was initiated at a dose of 5 mg twice daily, leading to complete hair regrowth within 2 months. The dose was then tapered to 5 mg once daily and supplemented with topical therapies. After 5 months, the patient's condition improved significantly, allowing for the discontinuation of tofacitinib. The patient maintained hair growth using topical therapies for a 10-month observation period. No serious adverse events associated with tofacitinib use were observed. The case highlights the potential of tofacitinib as an effective and well-tolerated treatment for AA in adolescents, particularly in the Indian population, and emphasizes the need for further research.
Cited in this study
3 / 3 results
40 citations
,
August 2022 in “Frontiers in immunology” Blocking JAK/STAT pathways can help treat hair loss from alopecia areata.
139 citations
,
January 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Tofacitinib helped regrow hair in most adolescents with alopecia areata, but more research is needed.
222 citations
,
September 2016 in “JCI insight” Tofacitinib is safe and effective for severe alopecia areata, but hair loss may return 2 months after stopping treatment.
November 2023 in “Cutis” Tofacitinib helped a woman with total-body hair loss grow her hair back.
1 citations
,
January 2022 in “International Journal of Trichology” Tofacitinib can be effective in treating hair loss caused by alopecia areata.
2 citations
,
September 2021 in “Curēus” Tofacitinib may be safe for COVID-19 patients with alopecia without worsening symptoms, based on two cases.
4 citations
,
July 2018 in “PubMed” Oral and topical tofacitinib can help regrow hair in people with severe alopecia areata.
24 citations
,
January 2018 in “International Journal of Trichology” Tofacitinib helped regrow hair in patients with alopecia, with few side effects.
16 citations
,
January 2017 in “Acta dermatovenerologica Alpina, Pannonica et Adriatica (Tiskana izd.)” A patient with complete hair loss regrew all her hair using tofacitinib.
196 citations
,
September 2016 in “JCI insight” Ruxolitinib effectively regrows hair in most patients with severe hair loss.
5 citations
,
June 2015 in “Veterinary dermatology” A dog with complete hair loss regrew most hair after treatment, with no relapse after stopping treatment.
39 citations
,
April 2003 in “Australasian journal of dermatology” PUVA treatment led to significant hair regrowth in over half of the patients with alopecia areata totalis and universalis.