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Alopecia universalis (AU), also known as alopecia areata universalis, is a
medical condition
A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function (biology), function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medica ...
involving the loss of all body hair, including
eyebrows
An eyebrow is an area of short hairs above each Human eye, eye that follows the shape of the lower margin of the Supraorbital ridge, brow ridges of some mammals. In humans, eyebrows serve two main functions: first, human communication, communica ...
,
eyelashes
An eyelash (also called lash) (Latin: ''Cilia'') is one of the hairs that grows at the edge of the eyelids. It grows in one layer on the edge of the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelashes protect the eye from debris, dust, and small particles and p ...
,
chest hair
Chest hair is hair that grows on the chest in the region between the neck and the abdomen. Chest hair develops during and after puberty along with other types of androgenic hair.
Development and growth
Although vellus hair is already presen ...
,
armpit hair
Underarm hair, also known as axillary hair, is the hair in the underarm area (''axilla'').
Development
Underarm or axillary hair goes through four stages of development, driven by weak androgens produced by the adrenal in males and females du ...
, and
pubic hair
Pubic hair is terminal body hair that is found in the genital area of adolescent and adult humans. The hair is located on and around the sex organs and sometimes at the top of the inside of the thighs. In the pubic region around the pubis bon ...
. It is the most severe form of
alopecia areata
Alopecia areata, also known as spot baldness, is a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body. Often, it results in a few bald spots on the scalp, each about the size of a coin. Psychological stress and illness are pos ...
.
People with the disease are usually healthy and have no other symptoms and a normal life expectancy.
Causes
Alopecia universalis can occur at any age, and is currently believed to be an
autoimmune disorder
An autoimmune disease is a condition arising from an abnormal immune response to a functioning body part. At least 80 types of autoimmune diseases have been identified, with some evidence suggesting that there may be more than 100 types. Nearly ...
, in which a person's immune system attacks the hair follicles. Genetic factors may contribute to AU, as about 20% of those affected have a family member with alopecia.
Treatment
Many treatments have been explored, including
immunomodulatory
Immunotherapy or biological therapy is the treatment of disease by activating or suppressing the immune system. Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as ''activation immunotherapies,'' while immunotherap ...
agents such as
imiquimod
Imiquimod, sold under the brand name Aldara among others, is a medication that acts as an immune response modifier that is used to treat genital warts, superficial basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis. Scientists at 3M's pharmaceuticals ...
.
Tofacitinib citrate may also have benefits. In June 2014, a 25-year-old man with almost no hair on his body was reported to have grown full head of hair, as well as eyebrows, eyelashes, and facial, armpit, and other hair, following eight months of treatment.
Contact immunotherapy involves the use of contact allergens, such as
diphencyprone and
squaric acid dibutylester, to induce an immune response that is thought to oppose the action of cells causing hair loss.
A review that combined and analyzed the findings of 45 studies comprising 2,227 patients showed any hair regrowth in 54.5% and complete hair regrowth in 24.9% of patients with AT and AU using contact immunotherapy. In addition to its helpful effects in treating AU, it can have side effects that can be very serious, such as severe
dermatitis
Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened. The area of skin involved can v ...
.
Topical and intralesional
corticosteroid
Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates, as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones. Two main classes of corticosteroids, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, are involv ...
s, such as
clobetasol propionate
Clobetasol propionate is a corticosteroid used to treat skin conditions such as eczema, contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis. It is applied to the skin as a cream, ointment, or shampoo. Use should be short term and only if ot ...
, have also shown to be an effective treatment for AT and AU patients.
A controlled study comprising 28 patients found positive terminal hair growth in eight of the patients (28.5%) using a 0.05% clobetasol propionate ointment. This is very similar to the results obtained from immunotherapy treatment trials. Additionally, studies suggest that intralesional applications are much more effective than topical applications of steroids. However, the main side effect is increased risk of
cutaneous atrophy at the site of treatment;
folliculitis
Folliculitis is the infection and inflammation of one or more hair follicles. The condition may occur anywhere on hair-covered skin. The rash may appear as pimples that come to white tips on the face, chest, back, arms, legs, buttocks, or head.
...
is also an occasional complication.
Janus kinase inhibitor
A Janus kinase inhibitor, also known as JAK inhibitor or jakinib, is a type of immune modulating medication, which inhibits the activity of one or more of the Janus kinase family of enzymes ( JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, TYK2), thereby interfering with the ...
s, previously used in the treatment of cancer and other diseases, such as
arthritis
Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...
, have successfully shown to be effective in the initial trials of treatment for alopecia patients.
Multiple cases of treatments have been successful, one of them being of a 22-year-old man with a history of AU and
atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as atopic eczema, is a long-term type of inflammation of the skin (dermatitis). It results in puritis, itchy, red, swollen, and cracked skin. Clear fluid may come from the affected areas, which often thickens o ...
(AD). This man was treated with JAK inhibitor
tofacitinib
Tofacitinib, sold under the brand Xeljanz among others, is a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis.
Common side effects include diarrhea, headache, and high blood pressure. Serious side eff ...
, and after ten months, he experienced hair regrowth on all of his affected body parts and subsequent improvement of his AD. Current research and findings suggest that systemic JAK inhibitors eliminate and prevent the development of AA, while topical JAK inhibitors promote hair regrowth and reverse the established disease.
Many clinical trials are ongoing involving JAK inhibitors such as
ruxolitinib
Ruxolitinib, sold under the brand names Jakafi and Jakavi, is a medication used for the treatment of intermediate or high-risk myelofibrosis, a type of myeloproliferative disorder that affects the bone marrow; polycythemia vera (PCV), when ther ...
and tofacitinib.
See also
*
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata, also known as spot baldness, is a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body. Often, it results in a few bald spots on the scalp, each about the size of a coin. Psychological stress and illness are pos ...
*
Alopecia totalis
References
External links
{{Human hair
Autoimmune diseases
Conditions of the skin appendages
Hair diseases
Human hair
Rare diseases