How/why exactly does lupus inflammation effect the hair follicles to cause hair loss, and what can be done to stop it?

[AFrances]

If we have the technology to send people to space then there must be something out there more effective than topical corticosteroid cream?!

[suzannah16]

makes you wonder doesn't it. we can do the impossible but not the more needed down to earth stuff. I asked my vet why dogs still have their temperature taken from their bottoms and not with some of the new thermometer guns things used for covid, she couldn't answer. I know dogs are hairy but surely those things could detect the heat. another question is why does your hair come out when on steroids but you could grow a beard?

[Ingrid1234 in reply to suzannah16]

Yes.

Not only lupus itself causing hair loss, autoimmune alopecia areata can happpen on its own but the side effects of all the meds affect us in different ways.

In some patients the hair does grow back but patchily. Gross hair loss is often associated with a huge lupus flare up but not always.🤔

Pred dosage is important.

[MrsMarigold]

Hi AF. I’ve read hair loss is often the first symptom of lupus. As I’m in my young 60sIt has never stopped. I lost too many years fretting it. Beautiful hair is available now

Synthetic looking real or more cost, real human hair. In my own life, Irish decent,

It’s a trademark in our family we all go

White in our thirties. I’ve loved my hair

And it’s an identity hard to give up. I’ve had

Hairpieces the last 12 years; toppers that hid the thin areas. I’m in a new season of life and looking seriously at a brand called

Follea. It requires shaving off what’s left,

As they stick to your scalp like glue with

Silicone sewed into the head piece. I’m

Ready. It will never grow back and I can’t

Make it look ok any more. May go red♥️

[Hidden]

One small step….

[chrisj]

I asked the same question when I was finding hair on my pillow. My gp told me it was normal.

I finally got a diagnosis of mild SLE in 2005 from blood tests done after a locum marked the request as urgent to speed things up, so I knew what I was dealing with. When I spoke again to my gp she admitted she knew very little about Lupus, I hope she's better informed now.

They'd been treating me for undiagnosed RA with a useless tablet that gave me an ulcer...ended up in hospital needing surgery. What fun. My hair did stop coming out its not all over my pillow any more. I have Plaquenil and the locum to thank for that.... but it hasnt grown back.

Why the illness chooses where to inflict its damage I've no idea, maybe I'll ask the rheumatologist I've got an in clinic app later this month although I'm not holding my breath.