Because lupus commonly affects the skin, it often causes inflammation on the scalp. This directly impacts the hair follicles. As a result, many patients will notice that their hair is thinning or falling out. Others may observe a distinct change in hair texture.
Hair loss, thinning hair, and nail changes are common in people who have different types of lupus. The most common type of lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), can cause dry, coarse hair to develop along the hairline. These dry, coarse hairs break off easily, causing the sparse-looking hair known as lupus hair.
How does lupus affect hair? 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.
Lupus Medications
Lupus can lead to hair loss in parts of the body other than the scalp, including eyebrows, eyelashes, beards, and body hair.
Introduction to Lupus Hair
Along with dryness, brittle hair can be dull, showing spit ends and frizzing. Short, broken and brittle hair around the edges of the scalp are common signs of lupus hair. It is important to note that brittle hair is not the same as having true hair loss – a condition called alopecia.
Why is my hair frizzy all of a sudden? If your hair is suddenly frizzy, it could have to do with your environment—for example, you may not have known you were dealing with dehydrated hair until you entered a humid climate. It could also have to do with a heat styling product you used, a recent dye job, or bleaching.
It's a mixture of two things – humid or hot weather, and how moisturised your hair is to start with. The main cause of frizz is a lack of moisture in your hair. This causes your hair to seek out and absorb moisture from the air, causing frizz - which also explains why humidity can make frizz even worse.
Lupus can also drastically change one's appearance. Patients can have hair loss, rashes and scarring, as well as medication side effects like weight gain, hair loss and stretch marks,” says Dr. Jolly, who has led a number of studies on body image in people with lupus.
The effects lupus may have in and around the eyes include: changes in the skin around the eyelids, dry eyes, inflammation of the white outer layer of the eyeball, blood vessel changes in the retina, and damage to nerves controlling eye movement and affecting vision.
If you have active discoid lesions on your scalp, or you are suffering from hair loss as a result of lupus, I would be cautious about using hair dyes. Chemicals in the dye can act as irritants, (although nothing has been proven to link them with lupus), further damaging your hair follicles.
Discoid lupus causes round, coin-shaped lesions (sores). The sores most commonly develop on your scalp and face, but they may show up on other parts of your body. Discoid lesions typically do not hurt or itch. They may be scaly, thick or red.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system mistakenly attacks a part of your body. When you have alopecia areata, cells in your immune system surround and attack your hair follicles (the part of your body that makes hair).
Sudden hair changes in texture could signal a more serious condition. Anemia and insufficient vitamin D levels can bring on thinning hair. A thyroid disease can also result in a sudden change in the texture of your hair.
They include stress, chemical hair treatments, heat styling, genetics, aging, medical conditions and illness. and pregnancy. With all of these things considered, it's not unusual to see color and textural changes with each passing decade of your life.
A variety of scalp conditions that are associated with inflammation can lead to altered hair texture over time. Conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis can lead to drier duller hair. Many individuals with FFA and LPP have co-existent seborrheic dermatitis and if present, this should be treated.
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling. Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes elsewhere on the body. Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure. Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods.
Often, people with lupus experience weight loss or gain due to loss of appetite, unhealthy dietary habits, or decreased energy and mobility. If you experience weight loss or loss of appetite, talk to your doctor. S/he can help you determine the cause of the problem and take strides to correct it.
No single test can tell whether you have any type of lupus. When you have signs of lupus on your skin, your dermatologist will carefully consider the results from your skin exam, medical history, and lab tests. You may need more testing before getting your diagnosis.
Why does hair get dry as we age? As we get older, our hair texture changes dramatically. Hair will slowly become drier, coarser, and thinner over the years. The truth is that as we grow older, the oils that our scalp relies on for nourishment decrease, resulting in drier, frizzier hair.
Deficiencies in any of the following vitamins and minerals could manifest as conditions including generalized hair loss, frizziness or brittle hair: Biotin (vitamin B7): Biotin activates enzymes that break down the carbohydrates, fat and protein necessary for hair production and reducing frizz.
In order to be its healthiest, your hair needs zinc, iron, vitamin E, omega fatty acids, and biotin. If your diet is high in alcohol consumption and low in nutrients, it will feel dry and rough. An iron deficiency will cause strands to feel brittle and coarse.