Both men and women have affected with lupus a chronic autoimmune condition that affects every part of the body.
In general, if lupus is present some type of skin disease or lesion is usually evident; so its necessary to pay careful attention to your skin care.
One of the many symptoms of this chronic illness is the distinctive kinds of skin rashes, these subacute cutaneous skin problems are divided into two categories either acute or chronic.
- Acute cutaneous lupus lesions occur when systemic lupus is active.
- The most typical skin problem arising from acute flare-ups is a malar rash that appears on both cheeks and across the bridge of the nose in the shape of a butterfly.
- However, the rash can also appear on your arms, legs, and body.
- Skin outbreaks show up as scaly red patches or ring shapes that appear on parts of the body exposed to the sun, such as the arms, shoulders, neck, chest, and trunk.
Typically chronic cutaneous discoid lupus produces the disc-shaped rash that is usually slightly elevated; it forms flakes or a crust on the surface of the skin.
This coin-shaped rash is scaly, can be evident on the cheeks, nose, ears, back, and body, it may be itchy, leave a scar or it may leave skin discoloured; also the rash may spread to the scalp causing hair loss that may be permanent.
Some other skin conditions also crop up with lupus such as cutaneous vasculitis lesions that occur when inflammation damages the blood vessels in the skin.
- Vasculitis lesions appear in the form of raised sores or as small red or purple lines or spots in the fingernail folds or on the tips of the fingers.
- Similarly, calcinosis lesions occur from a buildup of calcium deposits under the skin as well, mucosal ulcerations can occur, these are sores in the mouth or nose as a result of both cutaneous lupus and systemic lupus.
Generally, outbreaks and eruptions of rashes or lesions are unpredictable and quite stressful, as a result, special skin care management is an astute line of attack.
If you have lupus its judicious to seek professional treatment to manage skin conditions and you can also protect and take care of your skin with some self-care actions.
Make sure to always gently exfoliate and generously moisturize. If your skin is sensitive to UV exposure be sun-conscious, avoid ultraviolet light as much as is possible, use sunscreens and cover-up.
Also, non-irritating skincare products or products that are natural and hypoallergenic can be helpful choices.