Response to Tofacitinib Therapy of Eyebrows and Eyelashes in Alopecia Areata

The study evaluated the response of eyebrows and eyelashes to tofacitinib therapy in 119 patients with alopecia areata (AA), who had scalp involvement and were treated for at least 6 months. Complete regrowth of eyebrows was observed in 34% (41/119) of patients, while complete regrowth of eyelashes occurred in 39% (46/119) of patients. Complete regrowth at all sites was achieved in 16% (19/119) of patients. The study found that the duration of eyebrow and eyelash loss was not a significant predictor of poor treatment response, suggesting that these hair follicles remain viable even after extended periods of nongrowth. However, severe scalp hair loss was a predictor of involvement of eyebrows or eyelashes, and the duration of scalp hair loss over 10 years was a negative predictor of scalp hair growth response to therapy. The study concluded that JAK inhibitor treatment of AA could be effective for eyebrows and eyelashes, even when scalp hair does not respond, and that hair follicle biology differs across various hair-bearing sites.