"Regrowth Restyled": A New Campaign Says Self-Expression Doesn't Have to Wait

In recognition of Alopecia Areata Awareness Month, Sun Pharma has launched Regrowth Restyled, an educational campaign built around a simple idea: Adults living with severe alopecia areata shouldn't have to put their sense of style, confidence or identity on hold while they wait for their hair to grow back. As part of the campaign, Sun Pharma partnered with fashion designer Christian Siriano to create a one-of-a-kind wearable garment inspired by the hair regrowth journey, which debuted on September 17 following New York Fashion Week.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss that can range from small patches to complete loss of scalp and body hair. It's estimated to affect approximately 300,000 U.S. adults with severe disease, and beyond the physical changes, it can carry a significant psychological toll, including anxiety, depression, isolation and reduced self-esteem.

We spoke with Meena Singh, M.D., FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon, about why the campaign leans on fashion as its lens, what it means to treat the full scope of a patient's experience, and how she counsels patients on what to expect from treatment, including Leqselvi (deuruxolitinib), the oral JAK inhibitor approved for severe alopecia areata that the campaign points patients toward.

This campaign centers on self-expression and confidence, not just hair regrowth. Why did Sun Pharma and Christian Siriano decide fashion was the right lens to explore the alopecia areata experience?

Meena Singh, M.D., FAAD: Fashion is such a natural way to talk about identity and self-expression because what we wear and how we present ourselves can communicate who we are without saying a word. For someone experiencing alopecia areata, that opportunity for self-expression can be especially meaningful because hair loss can change how a person sees themselves and how they feel they are seen by others. With Sun Pharma partnering with Christian Siriano to create a dress design specifically based on the experience of ladies living with alopecia areata, it highlighted this opportunity to celebrate their self-expression.

You've spoken about considering the full spectrum of a patient's journey, from hair loss to the psychological toll to treatment decisions. Can you walk us through what that fuller picture looks like in practice?

MS: When I see a patient with alopecia, I am not only looking at how much hair they have lost. I want to understand how it is affecting their confidence, relationships, work, social life and daily routines, because all of those factors matter when we discuss treatment goals and decide what success looks like for that individual patient.

How does watching hair regrowth happen, even gradually, tend to affect a patient's sense of identity along the way?

MS: For many patients, seeing those first signs of regrowth can be incredibly meaningful because it can represent hope after a period when they may have felt they had very little control over their disease. At the same time, I remind patients that their identity and self-worth are not defined by their hair, whether they experience complete regrowth, partial regrowth or are still waiting for a response.

For patients who've felt like their self-expression had to wait until their hair came back, what's the message this campaign is trying to send, and why does that message matter clinically, not just emotionally?

MS: The message is that patients do not have to put their lives or their self-expression on hold while waiting for their hair to return. That matters clinically because treating alopecia is about more than counting hairs, we also want to help patients maintain confidence, connection and quality of life throughout their treatment journey.

Leqselvi showed some patients regaining nearly all their hair in as little as 8 weeks. What should patients realistically expect going into treatment, and how do you counsel them on timeline and outcomes that vary person to person?

MS: I emphasize that every patient responds differently and that an early response seen in some patients should not be viewed as the expected timeline for everyone. In clinical trials, some patients showed significant regrowth early, but we generally evaluate progress over months and focus on each patient's individual response rather than comparing them with someone else's timeline.

I encourage patients speak to their dermatologist about what the best course of treatment is for them, and always review all important safety information before taking any medication.