Alopecia, the
scientific term for hair loss, is often regarded as a less specific skin
manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This feature is estimated to
occur in about 45% of people with lupus at some stage during the course of the
disease. The temporal regions (the sides of the head above the ears) are most
likely to be affected; another pattern of hair loss occurs in patches. Typically,
the hair loss begins at the onset of the disease and may actually constitute
one of the early or presenting symptoms of lupus. When the disease is
maintained under control with proper treatment, the hair should be able to grow
back, because the alopecia associated with lupus is generally non-scarring,
that is to say, the skin is not scarred and the hair follicles remain healthy,
so the hair can grow back. Some patients develop a rash in the scalp that takes
a disc-like shape (discoid lupus); this rash may interfere with the normal
growth of hair follicles. If this is the case, the patient is left with a
permanent area of scarring alopecia that cannot have hair re-growth.