HAIR LOSS OR ALOPECIA has seemed to be a recurring problem among my children (3 boys out of 4 are bald). Anyone can lose hair on their head but it is more common in men. It could be genetic but with others, it seems to be more complicated.
There is now an alopecia treatment for kids, marking a historic first. The drug, ritlecitinib, is a once-daily pill for kids ages 12 and older with severe alopecia areata, a disease that develops when the body attacks the hair follicles, causing hair loss. The medication will be sold under the brand name Litfulo, and is manufactured by Pfizer.
After 24 weeks of treatment, about 30% of people participating in the trials regrew their hair. Remember, these are patients who at the start had 50% to 100% scalp hair loss. Often they had no scalp hair. And 24 weeks later, 30% of them have less than 20% [scalp hair loss] or complete scalp hair regrowth, and up to 48 weeks, that number rises to 40% of people achieving dramatic regrowth of hair.
It must be emphasized that ritlecitinib is considered a treatment for alopecia, not a cure. It is expected that patients will need to continue on the medication on a long-term basis in order to maintain hair growth.
There are multiple types of alopecia, which is a blanket term for hair loss. Although experts don’t fully understand the biochemical process of all these conditions, they believe some types occur when a person’s immune system inappropriately targets their own hair follicles, which stifles hair growth, according to the National Institutes of Health, while other types may be caused by genetics, hormones or certain illnesses like hypo- or hyperthyroidism.
Experts believe a combination of environmental and genetic factors can trigger the disease.
Alopecia areata specifically is the disease that develops when the body attacks the hair follicles, causing hair loss. Among the subtypes are Alopecia universalis, Alopecia totalis and patchy Alopecia areata.
Alopecia universalis, a complete loss of all body, face and scalp hair, is considered to be the most extreme and rarest form of the condition.
Alopecia totalis, which is characterized by the loss of only hair on the scalp, is a less advanced form of the condition.
Alopecia areata causes small circular and patchy bald spots to develop, usually on the scalp and face.
Alopecia areata affects nearly 2% of the general population at some point in their lifetime. The condition affects men and women similarly and affects all racial and ethnic groups.
AA also affects people of all ages, and not uncommonly, it affects adolescent and younger population, so to have an approved cure for adolescent is a significant leap forward.
Systemic treatments usually target the cause of the disease and impact the entire body’s function including the immune system. Other treatments for Alopecia areata – which include oral steroids and topical medications – target only certain affected parts of the body. By Manny Palomar, PhD (EV Mail July 8-14, 2024 issue)