What does lupus look like on the scalp?

Sores or red patches on the skin

Discoid lupus

Discoid lupus

The disease can damage any part of the body. It is defined as chronic, meaning that symptoms occur for a long time or happen repeatedly. Discoid lupus affects the skin, causing a red, scaly rash with raised borders on areas of the body that are exposed to sunlight.

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Discoid lupus: Symptoms, causes, and treatment - Medical News Today

lesions, which are thick and disk-shaped. 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.

Can you have lupus on your scalp?

Unfortunately, yes. Lupus causes widespread inflammation that usually involves your skin — particularly on your face and scalp. Lupus can cause the hair on your scalp to gradually thin out, although a few people lose clumps of hair.

Can lupus cause sores on scalp?

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.

How is scalp lupus treated?

When discoid lupus forms on the scalp, you want to treat it early. Early treatment can prevent permanent hair loss. To treat discoid lupus, your dermatologist may inject a thick patch with a corticosteroid to help it clear.

How does lupus affect the scalp?

Sometimes, lupus causes discoid sores or lesions. These lesions — which can form anywhere on the body — can cause permanent scarring. Lesions that form and leave scars on the scalp often damage hair follicles, resulting in permanent hair loss.

Discoid Lupus - Daily Do's of Dermatology

What do lupus skin lesions look like?

Subacute cutaneous lupus

They can look like a ring with a darker red circle on the ring's outer edge. The skin is red and scaly. These lesions can result from a reaction to certain medications. They appear most often on the neck, chest, upper back, shoulders and arms.

What is discoid lupus of the scalp?

Importance Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a chronic variant of cutaneous lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the skin. Lesions are often localized to the scalp and can result in permanent scarring, disfiguration, and irreversible alopecia.

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.

What kind of hair loss does lupus cause?

In people with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of hair loss is “non-scarring alopecia”. This usually consists of thinning of the hair that is not necessarily permanent. The hair may thin diffusely, but often it has a tendency to occur more prominently at the front edges of the hairline.

Does lupus cause dry hair?

Lupus can really affect the condition of your hair in many ways, and giving you very dry or brittle hair is one of its most common.

How do you get rid of sores on your scalp?

Mild cases often benefit from medicated shampoo designed to treat the scalp and ease itching. Ingredients to look for in OTC medicated shampoos include salicylic acid and tar. If that doesn't help, or your condition worsens, see your doctor. Severe cases may need topical or injectable steroids.

Why do I have scalp sores?

Painful sores, blisters, or bumps that develop on the scalp may be caused by: Infection of the hair shafts (folliculitis) or the skin (such as impetigo). An allergic skin reaction (contact dermatitis). Viral infections, such as chickenpox and shingles.

What can be mistaken for lupus?

What autoimmune diseases cause scalp pain?

Scalp psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes thick patches of skin to develop on your scalp or the skin around your scalp. You may feel self-conscious, and it can be unpleasant if it's itchy or painful. However, it isn't contagious, and treatments can help your symptoms improve.

What does a lupus flare up look like?

During a flare, some of the symptoms you already had get worse or brand-new symptoms appear. It could be a light rash that spreads or gets darker or mouth sores that suddenly show up. A flare is when you have an increase in your lupus disease activity that can be measured.

How do I know if my rash is lupus?

A tell-tale sign of lupus is a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and bridge of the nose. Other common skin problems include sensitivity to the sun with flaky, red spots or a scaly, purple rash on various parts of the body, including the face, neck, and arms.

How do I stop autoimmune hair loss?

Alopecia areata cannot be cured; however, it can be treated and the hair can grow back. In many cases, alopecia is treated with drugs that are used for other conditions. Treatment options for alopecia areata include: Corticosteroids: anti-inflammatory drugs that are prescribed for autoimmune diseases.

Does lupus cause weight gain?

Muscle pain — Muscle pain or tenderness is common in people with lupus; rarely, some people also notice muscle weakness. Weight changes — Lupus can sometimes cause weight loss or weight gain.

Does lupus show up in blood work?

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 causes lichen Planopilaris of the scalp?

What Causes Lichen Planopilaris? The exact cause of LPP is unknown. It is thought that it could be the result of an autoimmune issue. The most commonly believed explanation is that white blood cells destroy skin and hair cells.

Does lupus cause alopecia?

Non-scarring alopecia has been associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and added to the diagnostic criteria as of 2012 [1]. Alopecia areata is an inflammatory, non-scarring hair loss that presents in well-demarcated regions commonly on the scalp.

Does lupus always cause hair loss?

With lupus, hair loss may be related to any of the causes of hair loss found in people without the disease, but can also be related to the disease itself or the treatments for the disease. With systemic lupus, it's thought that hair loss is related to the autoimmune basis of the disease.

Does lupus cause scalp itch?

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.

How serious is discoid lupus?

Discoid lupus erythematosus is a chronic dermatological disease that can lead to scarring, hair loss, and hyperpigmentation changes in skin if it is not treated early and promptly. It has a prolonged course and can have a considerable effect on quality of life. Early recognition and treatment improves the prognosis.

Does lupus make you itch?

Hives (Urticaria) About 10% of all people with lupus will experience hives (urticaria). These lesions usually itch, and even though people often experience hives due to allergic reactions, hives lasting more than 24 hours are likely due to lupus.