From 30^th June to 2^nd July, Alopecia UK was in Manchester for the 106^th annual meeting of the British Association of Dermatologists.

Alopecia UK CEO Sue and Communications Manager Amy hosted a charity stand with information for dermatologists about Alopecia UK and how the charity can provide support, community and education to their patients affected by all types of alopecia.

We had lots of engaging conversations with dermatologists from all over the UK, and it was a timely conference coming just days after NICE’s draft guidance publication recommending deuruxolitinib as a treatment for severe alopecia areata.

As such, JAK inhibitor treatments remained a hot topic, both in conversations at our stand and in the presentations and posters. There were dozens of scientific posters focusing on different types of alopecia, including alopecia areata, frontal fibrosing alopecia, lichen planopilaris, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, and pattern hair loss/androgenetic alopecia.

The highlight for us was a plenary talk from Dr Matthew Harries and one of his alopecia areata patients, Rita Davies. The talk was titled “Living with hair loss & advancements in treatment”, with Rita describing her experience with alopecia areata and successful treatment with JAK inhibitors medicines, before Dr Harries provided further information from clinical trials and medical practice.

Rita delivered an absolutely brilliant speech and we are confident that she received the longest applause of the conference. She spoke powerfully about the impact of alopecia areata and the difference that the JAK inhibitor treatments have made for her. As Rita told the auditorium full of dermatologists:

Many people think alopecia is just cosmetic, I can assure you it’s so much more than that. Factor in eye infections due to lack of eyelashes and respiratory infections due to lack of nasal hair. Alopecia is a very emotional condition. It zaps your confidence, steals your identity and messes with your mental health. When you are feeling so low, you pick up on all the negative comments, so please choose your words carefully and be kind.

We were delighted to see many dermatologists approaching Rita after her talk to congratulate her on a moving speech. One young researcher said that he would always remember her talk and that it would inspire him in his work.

Attending the British Association of Dermatologists annual meetings are always an extremely worthwhile couple of days. The conference provides an opportunity to see the hair specialists we already know and, just as importantly, meet the next generation of hair specialists. We were encouraged to speak with lots of young dermatologists just starting out who told us they had an interest in hair conditions. This was music to our ears! The conference also provides a vital opportunity to connect with the wider network of dermatology patient support group charities to learn about what medical advancements are happening in other conditions. 

Following the meeting, we had a busy time getting Alopecia UK resources in the post to dermatologists who had requested them for their clinics, and we hope they will be well received by patients, especially those newly-diagnosed.

Thank you to the British Association of Dermatologists for inviting us to have a stand at the meeting and we look forward to joining them again next year in Liverpool.