Lupus is an autoimmune disease that like diabetes, can lead to hair thinning or loss.

Generalized hair loss is one symptom of systemic lupus erythematosis. Lupus flares can interrupt normal hair growth, leading to hair that is thin and breaks easily. The resulting loss is generally temporary and diffuse.

People with lupus are very susceptible to skin diseases and infections which can also cause hair loss, and sometimes even localized permanent baldness. Systemic lupus erythematosis can lead to kidney and blood diseases that also cause hair loss.

Hair loss or thinning may result from some drugs used to treat lupus, particularly antineoplastics, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressives.

For more information on Medical Causes of Hair Loss, request our free Medical Guide.

Information on this page, provided as a service by Peggy Knight Solutions, draws upon information from the following sources: the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.