A Hospital-based, Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of topical 2 percent Tofacitinib ointment combined with microneedling versus topical percent ointment alone in treatment of Alopecia Areata

This study is devised to compare the efficacy of topical 2% tofacitinib ointment combined with microneedling versus topical 2% tofacitinib alone in patients of alopecia areata over a 24-week treatment period. This study recruits a total of 74 patients willing to participate in the study after taking informed consent and divides into two groups each having a total number of 37 participants randomly. One group will be receiving topical 2% tofacitinib ointment twice daily to be applied over the alopecia patches on scalp combined with microneedling (using 1.5 mm dermaroller) to be done at every 4 weekly interval on alopecia patches for 24 weeks. While, other other group will only receive topical 2% tofacitinib ointment twice daily to be applied over the alopecia patches on scalp for 24 weeks. Each participants will be followed up regularly at 4 weekly interval  for clinical assessment which will be recorded and to note any adverse effect if any to given therapy. At the end of 24 week outcomes will be compared in terms of percentage improvement in SALT score (severity of alopecia tool), trichoscopic findings(changes in scalp hair density, black dots, white dots, exclamation mark hairs), global photographic assessment and hair pull test in each group. Randomization will be done on the basis of computer generated randomization table with allocation concealment in opaque envelopes into above mentioned two groups.