Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) significantly impacts patients' quality of life. While low-dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) shows promise in treating CIA after chemotherapy completion, its safety and efficacy when given during active chemotherapy remain unclear. This review examined existing literature on CIA pathogenesis, minoxidil's mechanism of action, and LDOM efficacy to explore its potential use during chemotherapy. SUMMARY/UNASSIGNED:Recent retrospective studies demonstrated LDOMs good tolerability in cancer patients post-chemotherapy, with minimal adverse effects. Scalp cooling, the only Food and Drug Administration-cleared intervention to mitigate CIA, is thought to reduce chemotherapeutic delivery to the hair follicles, whereas minoxidil, a vasodilator, increases blood flow to the follicle. Despite these differing mechanisms, preclinical studies suggest potential benefits of LDOM during chemotherapy. One study demonstrated a protective effect of subcutaneous minoxidil against cytarabine-induced alopecia, while another showed faster regrowth with systemic minoxidil administered concurrently with paclitaxel. LDOM may, therefore, exert benefits through mechanisms beyond vasodilation, potentially by its impact on the hair cycle. Studies on topical minoxidil during chemotherapy show variable results, possibly due to poor adherence or variations in application practices - limitations LDOM could address. KEY MESSAGES/UNASSIGNED:Given the psychological impact of CIA and limited treatments, investigation of LDOM's safety and efficacy when initiated during chemotherapy is warranted.

INTRODUCTION/UNASSIGNED:Primary cicatricial alopecias (PCAs) cause permanent hair loss and psychosocial distress. Management involves anti-inflammatory and hair growth-promoting therapies. A combination of tacrolimus, clobetasol, and minoxidil (TCM) may offer synergistic benefits by targeting distinct inflammatory pathways while increasing background hair density for improved camouflage. This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of TCM use in PCA patients. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:We conducted a retrospective chart review of PCA patients aged 18+ years treated with TCM between January 1, 2009, and May 31, 2025. Outcomes included inflammatory activity on trichoscopy, scalp symptoms, provider- and patient-reported disease status, and objective hair measurements. Descriptive statistics were performed using SAS v9.4. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Eighty-two patients (80.5% female, mean age 61.5) were included, most commonly with frontal fibrosing alopecia or lichen planopilaris. TCM was typically prescribed as a compounded solution used 1-2 times/day for an average of 24.5 months. Adverse effects included worsened itch/burning (6.1%), hypertrichosis (4.9%), scalp irritation/dryness (4.8%), and atrophy (3.7%); most (62.2%) experienced no adverse effects. Provider-assessed inflammation and disease status improved or stabilized in 69.5% and 76.9%, respectively. Objective hair measurements also improved. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:TCM is well tolerated and, used alone or in conjunction with other therapies, appears to be effective. Improvements were seen in provider-reported outcomes and objective hair measurements.

BACKGROUND:Topical minoxidil, approved for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, also has efficacy in many other hair loss disorders, its use limited due to the need for at least daily application. Oral minoxidil, in doses below those likely to lower blood pressure (so called "low dose oral minoxidil") has increasingly been used off label to treat a variety of hair loss conditions but without any standard recommended best practices. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To provide a review of how experts in hair loss use the available literature on topical and low dose oral minoxidil to educate and treat safely and effectively patients with hair loss METHODS: Dermatologists with expertise in hair disorders met by teleconference and email to review the literature and share their direct experience with topical and oral minoxidil. RESULTS:Provision of basic knowledge of the key aspects of the use of topical or oral minoxidil to insure safe and effective use of either in treating hair loss.

INTRODUCTION/UNASSIGNED:Scarring alopecias (SAs) cause permanent hair loss and psychological distress. With no FDA-approved SA treatments, patients face significant barriers to care. Despite promising evidence supporting the use of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) to treat SAs, access remains limited. This study aimed to assess the demographic profile, psychosocial burden, treatment experiences, and barriers to care among patients with SA. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:tests were performed using SAS v9.4. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Among 294 respondents (98.0% female, mean age 61, 81.3% White), common diagnoses included frontal fibrosing alopecia (66.3%), lichen planopilaris (41.5%), and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (12.6%). Only 37.5% reported well-controlled symptoms; 78.9% experienced SA-related depression or anxiety. JAKi awareness was high (71%), but use was low (30%), with significant differences based on gender, region, income, and education. Barriers to treatment access included provider reluctance (46%), insurance denial (18%), and high cost (16%). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:SA patients face significant psychosocial distress and barriers to accessing therapies. Improving equitable access to care requires enhanced provider education, broader insurance coverage, and stronger patient assistance programs.

BACKGROUND:Eyebrow and eyelash (EB/EL) involvement is an important consideration in the assessment of alopecia areata (AA) severity. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:We report integrated results from BRAVE-AA1 (NCT03570749) and BRAVE-AA2 (NCT03899259) characterising EB/EL involvement at baseline in patients with AA and response to baricitinib treatment. METHODS:BRAVE-AA1 and BRAVE-AA2 were randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials conducted at 169 centres in 10 countries. Patients were randomised to placebo, baricitinib 2 mg, or baricitinib 4 mg. Pooled data from patients continually treated with baricitinib through Week 52 were included. Outcomes were assessed using the Clinician-Reported Outcome (ClinRO) measure for EB/EL and Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score for scalp. RESULTS:At baseline, patients with more severe EB/EL involvement had more severe scalp hair loss, with mean SALT scores ranging from 70.6 to 96.0 for patients with no gaps to complete absence of hair, respectively, at EB/EL sites. EB/EL response rates [ClinRO (0,1) with ≥1-point improvement] at Week 36 were significantly higher in patients treated with both baricitinib 2 mg (28.2%, odds ratio [OR]=3.27, 25.1% OR=2.95) and baricitinib 4 mg (44.3% OR=6.84, 46.4% OR=8.21) as compared with placebo (12.6%, 12.4%). There was high concordance between EB response and EL response, with approximately 80% of patients who achieved hair regrowth at one site, achieving regrowth at the other with baricitinib 4 mg. Among scalp responders (SALT score <20 at Week 52), 78.5% and 82.6% achieved an EB and EL response, respectively, and 71.1% of patients achieved a response in both EB and EL with baricitinib 4 mg. Among scalp nonresponders (SALT score >20 at Week 52), 46.7% and 48.7% achieved EB and EL responses, respectively, and 35.4% achieved responses in both EB and EL. Similar trends but lower response rates were observed with baricitinib 2 mg. CONCLUSIONS:Baseline severity of EB/EL involvement parallels that of the scalp. Baricitinib was efficacious in achieving holistic response across all three hair-bearing sites in a majority of Week 52 scalp responders. These data detail the benefits of baricitinib across important hair-bearing sites involved in AA and highlight that individual patient treatment success should account for the totality of the clinical presentation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER/BACKGROUND:BRAVE-AA1, ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03570749, start date, September 24, 2018; BRAVE-AA2, ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03899259, start date, July 8, 2019.