Steroids like Prednisone were the recommended course of treatment by doctors when I was first diagnosed -- a massive dose of oral steroids for months. Rheumato

Steroids like Prednisone were the recommended course of treatment by doctors when I was first diagnosed -- a massive dose of oral steroids for months. Rheumatologists said in no uncertain terms that this was likely going to have complications and long-term health consequences. I decided it wasn't worth it for what amounts to a cosmetic change. From what I've read, tofacitinib is a a JAK inhibitor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janus_kinase_inhibitor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janus_kinase_inhibitor), as opposed to a cortoicosteroid like Prednisone. It inhibits the activity of a very specific family of enzymes that play a part in regulation of the immune system (cytokine signalling). It makes a ton of sense to dispense it as a topical cream to limit the potentially complex side effects. I'm also curious whether it's more or less effective for scarring vs. non-scarring alopecia, since scarring alopecia is characterized by active inflammation, and tofacitinib is supposed to be successful in reducing inflammation at the right dosage. If someone has more background in this area, I'd appreciate more details. JAK inhibitors seem like an exciting area of research!