Lupus hair often feels dry, brittle, and fragile, leading to easy breakage, especially around the hairline, and excessive shedding, resulting in overall thinning or noticeable clumps falling out during washing or brushing. It can also involve a tender, inflamed scalp with sores or rashes, and some experience it as fine or lacking volume, sometimes described as jagged, short "lupus hair" at the front. The immune system attacks hair follicles, causing inflammation and damage, which can make the hair feel weak and thin.
Or you may see evidence in your hair brush or comb in the form of more than the usual number of strands. The hair at the front of your hairline might also be more fragile than usual and break off. Jagged, short hairs at the front of the scalp are collectively known as “lupus hair.” Hair loss is an early sign of lupus.
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.
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.
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.
In some cases, hair loss medications may be appropriate for those with lupus. According to a 2022 paper, the hair loss drug minoxidil may help with both TE-related hair loss and hair loss due to lupus inflammation. A doctor may recommend this treatment alongside a person's other medications.
Lupus causes swelling and irritation, called inflammation, that may affect joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. Lupus can be hard to diagnose because its symptoms often are like those of other illnesses. A common sign of lupus is a facial rash that looks like butterfly wings across both cheeks.
Headaches may be related to tension in the muscles around the eyes, face, neck or shoulders. Migraines are another common type of headache experienced by people with lupus.
Symptoms of Alopecia Areata
People with the disease are usually healthy and have no other symptoms. Alopecia areata typically begins with sudden loss of round or oval patches of hair on the scalp, but any body part may be affected, such as the beard area in men, or the eyebrows or eyelashes.
Use gentle hair products, like baby shampoo, to avoid irritating your scalp. Check with your doctor before trying new products. Avoid heat and chemicals, including curlers, hot combs, and chemical treatments, which can weaken hair and cause further damage.
Some lupus complications can include:
About 20% of patients with lupus have migraine-like headaches. These headaches are different from “lupus headaches,” which are due to active lupus and require a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) or blood vessel study (MRA or CT-angiogram) for diagnosis. A true lupus headache usually requires corticosteroids for treatment.
Dermatomyositis. DM is an autoimmune inflammatory myopathy with cutaneous and systemic symptoms [29]. The scalp is frequently affected by moderate to severe burning pruritus; hair loss may also be present [30].
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.
Lupus can attack many different parts of the body. Some call it the cruel mystery. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can strike any part of the body, but the wide range of symptoms can be easily mistaken for something else.
Hair loss is a common symptom of lupus and can have a few distinguishing features compared to other causes of hair loss. Some symptoms that set lupus hair loss apart include: Thinning all over the head, not just concentrated in certain areas. Hair that feels weak and breaks easily.
Many people with lupus suffer from gastrointestinal problems, especially heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Peptic ulcers can also occur, often due to certain medications used in lupus treatment, including NSAIDs and steroids.
Common symptoms of autoimmune disease include:
The most common symptom of lupus is fatigue, which means feeling extremely tired. Fatigue can affect a person's physical and mental health and quality of life. It can also make it hard for people with lupus to socially connect with others.
The medicines used most often to manage lupus include:
Tests to Make a Lupus Diagnosis
Complete blood count (CBC): checks for low counts of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Complement tests: measures the level of complement — proteins in your blood that help destroy foreign substances. Low levels of complement can indicate lupus.
Having lupus can make everyday life challenging. When your lupus is active, symptoms like joint stiffness, pain, fatigue, confusion, or depression can make simple tasks difficult — and sometimes impossible.