Discoid lupus causes raised, scaly patches. As these patches clear, scars can form. When scars develop on the scalp, hair cannot grow where there are scars. Prompt treatment of discoid lupus on the scalp can prevent scarring.
Sores or red patches on the skin
They often appear on the scalp or face and can cause permanent scarring. They may be red and scaly, but they do not cause pain or itching. Subacute cutaneous lesions, which may look like patches of scaly skin or ring-shaped sores.
Many people with lupus have skin problems, like rashes or sores on the scalp, that can cause hair loss. Hair loss and thinning hair can also be side effects of certain medicines used to treat lupus, like steroids and immunosuppressives.
Chronic Cutaneous Lupus
Lesions most often appear on the face, ears, scalp, neck, and hands. They are usually not itchy or painful, but they may cause dark spots or scars that remain on the skin after they heal. Scarring on the scalp may destroy hair follicles and result in permanent hair loss.
Thick, scaly patch of skin (discoid lupus)
People who have discoid lupus develop these patches. Most patches appear on the face, scalp, or ears, but patches can develop elsewhere on the skin. Without prompt treatment, these patches tend to stay on the skin for a long time — sometimes for years.
Scalp psoriasis (sore-eye-uh-sis) is a long-lasting (chronic) autoimmune disease (caused by your own immune system) that causes your skin cells to reproduce too quickly. It creates thick, discolored patches of skin (plaques) on your scalp and other areas around your scalp.
A corticosteroid: Cutaneous (skin) lupus often responds quickly to a corticosteroid. You may apply this medication to your skin or take it as a pill. Once your skin responds, your dermatologist will lower the dose or prescribe a different medication.
Scalp Inflammation: The Basics
A common cause of scalp inflammation is seborrheic dermatitis, which can cause red, scaly patches to develop on your scalp. Other conditions that can cause scalp inflammation include folliculitis, scalp ringworm (tinea capitis) and others.
Psoriasis and lupus are both autoimmune conditions that can affect people's skin. Although they share some symptoms, they are separate disorders. It is possible for a person to have both lupus and psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis. The treatments and complications are different for each disorder.
You may experience symptoms including pain, itching and burning. In some cases, you may not experience any symptoms. Most often, symptoms will develop on your face, ears or scalp.
Cutaneous lupus
There are 3 main types: Chronic cutaneous lupus (also called discoid lupus) causes round, disc-shaped sores, usually on the face and scalp. The sores can cause scars or changes in skin color. Subacute cutaneous lupus causes a red scaly rash or red ring-shaped sores.
applying a warm compress to help soothe inflammation and drain pus. applying antibiotic ointment to large nodules and open sores. using mild antihistamines or topical steroid creams to reduce inflammation. washing hair with an anti-dandruff shampoo.
"Anytime there's a rash or symptoms like itching or pain or tenderness, that really signifies that there is some kind of inflammation. You can also see redness or flakes. Any kind of flaking of the skin means the skin is shedding off. These symptoms basically define scalp dermatitis."
Scalp tenderness is defined as pain, inflammation, tingling, numbness, irritation, itching, throbbing, or sensitivity of the scalp. Often, many of these symptoms appear together, being linked immune processes in response to a variety of conditions.
People living with lupus may experience various types of headaches for different reasons. Some of these may include: Migraine: This is a type of moderate to severe headache that may feel like a throbbing pain on one side of the head.
This can result in hair loss (alopecia ). Lupus-related hair loss can occur slowly, causing hair to become noticeably thinner gradually. In addition, lupus can sometimes cause hair to fall out in clumps, leaving small, round bald patches behind. Medications used to treat lupus also are linked to hair loss.
No one test can diagnose lupus. The combination of blood and urine tests, signs and symptoms, and physical examination findings leads to the diagnosis.
What can cause sores or scabs on the scalp? Sores or scabs on the scalp are often harmless and clear up on their own. However, they can sometimes be a sign of a condition that may require treatment, such as psoriasis, contact dermatitis, or head lice.
Scalp Problems: Dandruff, Lice, Cradle Cap, Psoriasis, Ringworm, & More.
You may get rashes on any part of your body that is exposed to the sun, such as your face, arms, and hands. One common sign of lupus is a red, butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks. Chest pain. Lupus can trigger inflammation in the lining of the lungs.
In general, a brain MRI will show more lesions with MS ("black holes and bright spots") but sometimes the brain lesions found with lupus or MS can be indistinguishable.