Topical Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata Affecting Facial Hair

The study evaluated the effectiveness of topical tofacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, in treating alopecia areata (AA) affecting facial hair, specifically eyebrows, eyelashes, and beards. The retrospective review included 26 patients (17 male, 9 female) with a mean age of 30.2 years, who were treated with topical tofacitinib for at least 3 months. The results showed that 44.4% of patients with eyebrow AA achieved complete regrowth, 100% of those with eyelash AA experienced complete regrowth, and 28.6% with beard AA had complete regrowth. Partial regrowth was also observed in some patients. The study suggests that topical tofacitinib may be an effective and safe treatment option for AA affecting facial hair, with a better response observed in patients with limited disease. No adverse events were reported, indicating a favorable safety profile. However, the study acknowledges limitations such as small sample size and retrospective design, and the long-term effects of the treatment were not ascertained due to patients being discharged or lost to follow-up.