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.
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.
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.
People with lupus can have cognitive symptoms, like having a hard time thinking clearly or remembering things. This is also called “brain fog” or “lupus fog,” and it often comes and goes over time. In some people, lupus fog can be present for many years.
Chronic cutaneous lupus, or discoid lupus, causes skin lesions (sores). These lesions usually occur on your scalp or face. Discoid lesions are not typically painful or itchy.
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.
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.
What is scalp psoriasis? 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.
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.
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.
Alopecia areata is a disease that happens when the immune system attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss. Hair follicles are the structures in skin that form hair. While hair can be lost from any part of the body, alopecia areata usually affects the head and face.
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.
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.
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.
The skin lesions can be red, thick, and scaly and typically do not itch or hurt. These lesions damage hair follicles and leave behind bald patches that are round. Chronic cutaneous lupus hair loss: discoid lupus lesions are often red, scaly, and thick and do not hurt or itch.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Abnormally high levels of nitric oxide in those with lupus, or other autoimmune conditions, can make the skin's blood vessels dilate, bringing more body heat to the surface – causing warmth, skin reddening and sweat.
Lupus and the autonomic nervous system
Those symptoms include numbness, tingling, burning, headaches, confusion, diarrhea, and Reynaud's phenomenon. Reynaud's phenomenon is the excessive constriction of blood vessels (and subsequent restriction of blood flow) in response to cold exposure.