Lupus and Hair Loss

Lupus: How Does it Affect Your Hair?

womens hair loss replacement maryland virginiaLupus is a disease that is a chronic inflammation that occurs when your body’s own immune system attacks your tissues and organs. This inflammation can affect many other different body systems that also include your skin and hair.

What happens is Lupus attacks your immune system and healthy tissue. While there are no known causes for Lupus, genetics and the environment are believed to be triggers.

Discoid Lupus is a chronic kind of lupus that attacks the skin directly which also includes the scalp. The lesions that are caused by it develop into red, inflamed patches with scaling, often having a crusty appearance. When you have this on the scalp you may also have itchiness and flakiness.

A Lupus diagnosis can be upsetting to those diagnosed with it and dealing with the physical appearance. While Lupus doesn’t directly cause your hair to fall out, it is the inflammation and irritation to the skin that can be a trigger for hair loss.

Discoid Lupus is one of the top causes of alopecia, or hair loss. If it is caught and treated early, you will have a better chance for a favorable outcome. While no two cases of lupus are the same, a doctor can recommend the best course of treatment specifically for you. When helping clients solve their hair loss problems, we strive for:

  • Hair loss prevention and hair retention while improving the quality of your hair.
  • Depending on the degree of hair loss, helping clients find the perfect hair replacement system for them.

Hair retention may include a variety of protocols, including low level laser hair therapy, topical hair and scalp treatments, usually in conjunction with laser hair therapy, and referrals to qualified medical clinics for Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatments.

With  Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatments, the patient’s blood is drawn and put in a centrifuge which is used to separate the plasma and platelets from the red blood cells. The platelet-rich plasma is then injected into the patient’s scalp to allow for natural cell regeneration. PRP can cause an increase in the development of blood vessels that can help promote hair retention and in some cases, hair regrowth.

Laser Hair Loss Treatment Therapy. Low-level laser light is used to stimulate hair follicles. The photons are irradiated into the scalp and absorbed by weak cells. This improves the blood circulation and gives the cells a boost within the hair follicles. This stimulation helps the follicles to work more efficiently and produce hair.

You can use a number of hair health products designed to remove the build-up of products and reset the PH levels of your hair. There are also therapies that we recommend to help to re-grow hair.