Transcript
Dr. Mesinkovska:Before we wrap it up, I guess, how about kids? People are like, "You're putting patients on medications for a long time." Because that is one of the messages we also have to get through, that is that all these medications are supposed to be long-term, at least as far as we know now. Anything that you have advice for when it comes to children and these medications?
Dr. Senna:I think Britt Craiglow says it the best in her lecture, which is it's not just the decision to treat, but the risk of not treating. Because we know if you have a child in front of you and you're a parent and understandably you're like, "I don't want to make this decision on a medication that has risks for my child and blah, blah, blah," you don't have unlimited time. The data shows us you don't have time to wait until that five-year-old child or eight-year-old child is 18 to make their own decision. The likelihood of response to the medications at that point is very low. And the data in kids and adolescents shows they respond great and they do well. And I say to patients' parents, "Listen," when they're kids, "You don't have to make a forever decision. Make a decision for now and buy some time."
Dr. Mesinkovska:OK, so that kind of leads me to our parting thoughts. Dr. Kindred, what is one message that you would like every clinician to know when it comes to understanding the patient and alopecia areata?
Dr. Kindred:When it comes to the patient with alopecia areata, it's very important to understand the severity to that patient, and as a physician meeting that need, which sometimes is going to include being comfortable with prescribing a JAK.
Dr. Mesinkovska:And Dr. Senna, what is one thing you want to say to the patients with alopecia areata when they communicate to the clinicians and just advice?
Dr. Senna:We see you. You do not have to feel bad or guilty about feeling sad that you lost your hair. We get it. And it is normal to feel the way that you do. And until people experience it themselves, they really truly don't understand it. And thankfully we are in sort of this new age where we finally have people excited about alopecia. I mean, Natasha's been banging on this, "We need treatments for alopecia areata," for, God, I won't even say how many years, Natasha, I don't want to give away...
Dr. Mesinkovska:I just think-
Dr. Senna:But a long time and now finally people are interested. We have medications that are FDA approved for it. And so that's the bright side of it. But we are here for you and we're not just here for you just to prescribe a medication, but to guide you through this process and to give you support if you need it.
Dr. Mesinkovska:So this is it folks. This is what we wanted to talk about today, alopecia areata, how to manage the burden, how to understand our patients with alopecia areata. We all talked about how to manage expectations without lowering hope. I want to thank both of you because you two have been my OGs, my friends since day one, because you help me, help our colleagues, help patients, humanity overall. Thanks to both of you and thanks to everybody for all your attention. Until next time.
Dr. Kindred:Thank you so much. Thank you.
Dr. Senna:Yeah.
