There seems to be emerging hope on the front of a "cure" for Alopecia Areata: Janus kinase (or JAK) inhibitor drugs. It's an interesting prospect, and one I'm not sure on how I feel because of some of the potential side effects.
On one-hand, I would be ecstatic to get all of my hair back without having to do much of anything other than take a pill every day. On the other-hand, I would be somewhat worried about what else these pills are doing to my body. And how long do you have to continue taking this pill, anyways?
It seems as though these JAK inhibitor drugs were initially used to combat severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, via a method to block certain pathways in the immune system. Neat idea, but I am also not sure I want my immune system blocked!
Apparently there are several studies underway now that are in fact showing these drugs to be effective. The question? How safe are they.
In any case, I am glad to see that research funding is going into Alopecia. It's a devastating disease that is far too often dismissed as "cosmetic".
What do you think?
Until next time,
Jason