Alopecia Areata Treatment

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition causing the hair to fall out.  It is common, and usually causes a few patches of hair loss on the scalp which can resolve over time.  Triggers might include stress or illness and it may occasionally be associated with other medical conditions such as thyroid disease.  Occasionally, the condition can extend to the whole head – including eyelashes and eyebrows (alopecia totalis) or sometimes the entire body (alopecia universalis).

Scientists at Yale university, USA, have reported the treatment of a patient with alopecia universalis with the rhematological drug tofacitinib.  This drug is an inhibitor of janus kinase (JAK) and currently has FDA approval for the treatment or rheumatoid arthritis in the USA.

The report states that the patient, who also suffered with psoriasis, regrew all of the hair on his head over a period of 8 months or so.  This is exciting news as the condition has to date, no successful treatment options.

Examples of celebrities with alopecia totalis include Gail Porter and Matt Lucas.

For more information on hair loss, see our pages on alopecia here