Hair loss is a common problem among women. It happens to everyone from teens to old ladies. But not every woman experiences hair loss. Some experience hair loss because of medical conditions such as lupus, thyroid disease, and diabetes.
There are many autoimmune diseases that cause hair loss. In fact, there are over 100 autoimmune diseases that affect the body. Many of these diseases also affect the skin, joints, muscles, nerves, and even the brain.
If you suffer from any of these autoimmune diseases, then you may notice hair loss.
Hair loss is one of the most common symptoms of autoimmune diseases. These conditions affect the immune system, causing inflammation and damage to the body. Hair loss may occur due to an underlying medical condition, such as thyroid problems, diabetes, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis. Or, it may be caused by stress, medications, or nutritional deficiencies.
Here are 9 autoimmune diseases that cause hair loss.
Table of Contents
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks its own thyroid gland. This attack leads to inflammation and swelling of the thyroid gland, causing it to swell and become enlarged.
The symptoms of Hashimoto’s include fatigue, weight gain, depression, dry skin, hair loss, and difficulty sleeping. In severe cases, people may experience heart problems, vision problems, and cognitive impairment.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) is a chronic inflammatory disease that attacks many parts of the body. It causes the immune system to attack the lining of the kidneys, liver, lungs, and skin. The symptoms include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, and hair loss.
Because lupus can affect many different systems, there are many possible causes of hair loss. Hair loss can occur because of stress, poor nutrition, hormonal imbalances, medication side effects, or vitamin deficiencies.
Hair loss can be temporary or permanent. Temporary hair loss usually occurs during times of stress or illness. Permanent hair loss is often due to nutritional deficiencies or hormone imbalances.
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Dermatomyositis
Dermatomyositis is an autoimmune disease that affects the skin and muscles. This condition usually occurs in adults between the ages of 30 and 50 years old. Dermatomyositis causes inflammation of the muscle tissue, resulting in weakness, pain, and stiffness.
Dermatomyositis can be triggered by a viral infection, stress, sun exposure, or certain medications.
The most common symptom of dermatomyositis is hair loss. Hair loss occurs when the follicles become inflamed and stop producing hair. This results in thinning hair and bald spots.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata is a type of autoimmune disease that causes patchy baldness. Alopecia areata typically begins when a person is young and affects only one part of the scalp. The patches of hair loss are round or oval shaped and vary in size from 1/4 inch to 3 inches across.
AA is often confused with alopecia totalis (AT), which is a form of baldness that occurs when the entire scalp loses its hair. AT is usually permanent, whereas AA is not.
The most common symptoms of AA include patchy hair loss, patches of thinning hair, and hair falling out. Some people experience only one area of hair loss, while others may lose all of their hair. Although there is no cure for AA, treatment options exist to help manage the condition.
Alopecia Totalis
Alopecia totalis is a condition where the entire scalp loses its hair. Alopecia totalis usually starts at puberty, and it affects males and females equally.
The cause of alopecia totalis isn’t known, but there are several theories. One theory suggests that alopecia totalis is triggered by a virus that attacks the hair follicles. Another theory suggests that alopectic hairs are genetically programmed to die off. Still another theory suggests that alopetic hairs are triggered by stress.
Symptoms include patchy baldness, thinning hair, and hair loss. In severe cases, the entire scalp may be affected.
Scleroderma
Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the skin, lungs, heart, kidneys, and blood vessels. Scleroderma causes hardening of the skin and tissue, which leads to thickened areas called sclerotic plaques. These plaques form scar tissue that may block small blood vessels and restrict circulation. This restricts the flow of oxygen and nutrients to cells, causing them to die off.
The result is thinning hair and scalp, along with dryness, itching, and pain.
Multiple Sclerosis
The most common autoimmune disease that causes hair loss is multiple sclerosis (MS). MS affects the brain and spinal cord, causing muscle weakness, vision problems, fatigue, and depression. Hair loss occurs when the nerves controlling hair growth become damaged.
Hair loss is usually temporary, but some people experience permanent hair loss due to MS. In fact, MS patients lose more than 50% of their scalp hair.
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Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the skin and joints. It causes red, scaly patches called plaques to form on the scalp, elbows, knees, and feet.
If you suffer from psoriasis, you may notice that your hair falls out. This is because the immune system attacks the follicles in your scalp, causing them to shrink and eventually die off. In some cases, this can lead to bald spots.
Androgenetic Alopecia
Hair loss is a common problem among men and women alike. Androgenetic alopecias (AGA) are autoimmune diseases that cause hair loss. They include male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness, and alopecia areata.
There are other Alopecias that are classified according to the part of the body affected. Here are some examples:
• Alopecias universalis – Hair loss affecting the entire body.
• Alopexia ophryogenes – Loss of eyelashes.
• Alopoikilosis – Hair loss on the face or scalp.
• Alopeclaisa – Hair loss on the chest.
• Alopetaria – Hair loss on the back.
• Aloproctalgia – Painful hair loss on the rectum.
• Aloproliponema – Hair loss on the lips.
In conclusion, autoimmune diseases such as lupus and alopecia areata can cause hair loss. But there are other autoimmune diseases that can cause hair loss indirectly. For instance, people who have celiac disease often develop diarrhea and malnutrition. This leads to weight loss and poor nutrition, which can result in hair loss. People with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis often have dry skin and hair. They also tend to gain weight and become tired easily. These factors can lead to hair loss.