- With Mayo Clinic rheumatologist
April Chang-Miller, M.D.
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April Chang-Miller, M.D.
April Chang-Miller, M.D.
Dr. April Chang-Miller is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and is a consultant in the Division of Rheumatology and Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.
Dr. Chang-Miller's primary field is rheumatology with special interests in inflammatory joint diseases called seronegative spondyloarthropathies such as ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. She also cares for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica.
The New York City native is a graduate of the Yale University School of Medicine and had been with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., between 1991 and 2002 when she relocated to Mayo Clinic, Arizona. She is a fellow in the American College of Rheumatology and has been on the board of directors of the Arthritis Foundation North Central Chapter.
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Question
Lupus: Can it cause hair loss?
Can lupus cause hair loss?
Answer
from April Chang-Miller, M.D.
Hair loss (alopecia) occurs in up to 54 percent of people with lupus at some time during the course of the disease. Although distressing, hair loss associated with lupus is almost always temporary. Most often the hair loss is from all over the scalp, but hair may also fall out in patches. Hair usually grows back with treatment of the lupus. Sometimes lupus causes a rash in the scalp — called a discoid rash — that causes scarring of the hair follicles. This hair loss due to scarring (cicatricial, or scarring, alopecia) is usually permanent. In addition, medications used to treat lupus, such as prednisone and immunosuppressive therapies, may cause reversible hair loss.
Lupus is only one cause of hair loss. But hair loss can also occur for many reasons that are unrelated to lupus, such as:
- Family history of male-pattern baldness
- Thyroid disorders
- Hormone changes associated with pregnancy or menopause
- A side effect of certain medications, such as chemotherapy drugs or oral contraceptives
- Stress, both physical and emotional
- Iron deficiency (anemia)
- Malnutrition
If you have lupus and experience hair loss, consult your doctor about treatment options.
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