Tofacitinib, Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis, Alopecia Universalis, Brett King, JAK Inhibitors, Psoriasis, Yale University

Tofacitinib Reverses Alopecia Universalis Hair Loss

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On this blog, I primarily focus on androgenic alopecia (AGA), which is also known as male pattern baldness (MPB). This kind of baldness results from male hormones (in particular, dihydrotestosterone) and scalp hair follicle genetic susceptibility to miniaturization. The vast majority of men who suffer from hair loss are experiencing androgenic alopecia.

Alopecia Areata, Totalis and Universalis

A less common form of hair loss is called alopecia areata in which hair is lost from some areas of the body in small clumps. More severe forms of alopecia areata include: alopecia totalis (when hair is lost from the whole scalp); and alopecia universalis (when hair is lost from all over the body, including the scalp).

Tofacitinib Cures Alopecia Universalis

Today, it was announced that Yale scientists led by Dr. Brett King had cured alopecia universalis in a man. They did this via just administering an existing FDA-approved rheumatoid arthritis drug called tofacitinib citrate (brand name Xeljanz, manufactured by Pfizer). The photos they presented are quite extraordinary. Also see the study link at the end of this post.

Tofacitinib reverses alopecia areata.
Tofacitinib reverses alopecia areata and universalis.

Besides curing this person’s hair loss, the drug also significantly improved his psoriasis. Lead scientists Dr. Brett King and his wife Dr. Brittany Craiglow credited Dr. Angela Christiano’s earlier work as inspiring them to try this experiment in one of their human patients. They now hope to start larger clinical trials. Dr. Christiano’s earlier work entailed tofacitinib as well as ruxolitinib reversing alopecia areata in mice.

I believe that there could also be an autoimmune inflammatory process involved with androgenic alopecia (just as with alopecia areata and psoriasis). A large proportion of men suffering from androgenic alopecia complain about scalp itching, dryness, dandruff and psoriasis type symptoms.

Many find top rated dandruff shampoos to be particularly effective at dealing with this inflammation. It would be quite something if tofacitinib also helped people like us who are suffering from androgenic alopecia.

The full study titled “Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Oral Tofacitinib Reverses Alopecia Universalis in a Patient with Plaque Psoriasis” is currently available online.

Update: CNN also now published this story, with a word of caution from George Cotsarelis regarding the side effects of tofacitinib. In his opinion, there is no immune system component to androgenic alopecia.

Rei Ogawa, Mechanotherapy, Scalp Excercises, Tom Hagerty

Rei Ogawa’s Mechanotherapy and Tom Hagerty’s Scalp Exercises

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Update 2016: Dr. Rei Ogawa has co-authored a new article on how scalp massage positively impacts dermal papilla cells. The authors are all respected scientists from a developed country.

At the recent World Congress for Hair Research, Japan based Dr. Rei Ogawa of Nippon Medical School made a very unique presentation on mechanotherapy and its use for hair loss. Luckily, his whole excellent presentation was recorded and posted on YouTube. At the same time, an everyday American man by the name of Tom Hagerty has been at it for years.

Mechanotherapy for Hair Regeneration

I am embedding Dr. Ogawa’s mechanotherapy and hair growth video below. At least half of the video does not deal with hair loss directly, but it is still well worth watching in its entirety. For more information on mechanotherapy, also check out Dr. Ogawa’s personal website.

Tom Hagerty’s Scalp Exercises for Hair Loss

While watching the above video, I suddenly remembered an old hair loss guru “friend” by the name of Tom Hagerty. Ever since I first started reading about hair loss on the internet around 15 years ago, Mr. Hagerty has had a steady and unique presence.

This is via his interesting “hairloss-reversible” website (no longer online) on scalp exercises. These scalp exercises can supposedly reverse hair loss or at least stop further hair loss. Mr. Hagerty does have a good head of hair for his age. Tom Hagerty also has a separate “shapeyourface” site on facial exercises.

2019 update video from a Tom Hagerty follower:

I used to frequent his website and forums regularly ten or more years ago. In fact, I even ordered his DVD despite my major reservations about this whole concept. The main reason I ordered the DVD was because the price was low (around $30 at the time).

Moreover, Mr. Hagerty communicated with me a few times via e-mail and via his forums. He came across as very sincere and helpful. We both lived in the same state at the time too.

Although I saw his DVD, I never stuck with the scalp exercises for more than the first few days. Mostly due to a combination of laziness and skepticism. I was also getting decent results with finasteride and minoxidil at the time.

Funnily enough, a few years ago, Jotronic from Hasson & Wong also posted a video about scalp exercises. His reason for doing so was to improve scalp laxity prior to getting a strip hair transplant.

Dermarolling and Hair Growth

After making the connection from mechanotherapy to scalp exercises, my mind wondered on to microneedling spurred intentional wounding and hair growth.

Perhaps mechanotherapy, dermarolling, scalp exercises and even low level laser therapy all impact hair growth positively via related mechanisms. A complex reactionary pathway involving cells, tissues and molecular signaling in the scalp region. And blow flow too of course.

Perhaps I am reading too much into these alternative hair loss treatments. Nevertheless, it would be quite something if Tom Hagerty’s scalp exercises were scientifically proven to stop hair loss. His is a basic form of mechanotherapy, without the use of any mechanical devices.

Was Tom years ahead of the world’s foremost scientists? Should I try to find his DVD in my storage and take it more seriously?