Lupus Rash

Lupus is an autoimmune disease caused due to the abnormal activity of immune system. Though the people with lupus experience many different symptoms, lupus rash is the common symptom of lupus. Lupus rash is red or purplish in color and mildly scaly. Lupus rash generally appears on the regions, which are exposed to the sunlight like face, scalp, neck and shoulders. But lupus rash can occur on the other areas like palms, feet or chest. When the lupus rash occurs on the face it may have a burning sensation. In some cases lupus rash may develop into skin lesions.

Usually a lupus rash is characterized by redness on the cheeks (also called malar rash) but different types of lupus rashes can be seen depending on the type of the lupus. The location of the lupus rash also varies with the type. Here we will see different types of lupus rashes and their locations.

Lupus rash in case of Systemic Lupus Erythematous

In case of the systemic lupus erythematous, a red lupus rash may develop across the cheeks and nose. In this case lupus rash usually doesn’t involve skin scarring and can improve with medical treatment. Lupus rash can worsen if the affected skin is exposed to the sunlight for a long time.

Lupus rash in case of Discoid Lupus Erythematous

In case of the discoid lupus erythematous, the lupus rash occurs in different regions of the body like face, scalp and ears. The lupus rash may be a pruritic and affects large patch of skin. This discoid lupus rash is raised and the regions affected by these rashes may become thick, scaly and cause scarring. This lupus rash may then develop into lesions. When these lesions appear on the hairy areas they may lead to temporary or permanent hair loss.

Lupus rash in case of Acute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus

In case of acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, the rash usually appears in a form of butterfly on the face. This lupus rash appears on both the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose. This rash usually appears after exposure to the sunlight and remains for few days to weeks before healing but without scarring. In some cases lupus rash may develop in other parts of the body.

Lupus rash in case of Subcute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus

In case of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, the lupus rash may be localized or generalized, that means it may appear on a particular area or may appear anywhere on the body. The lupus rash generally occurs after exposure to the sunlight. The rash usually heals by itself without scarring. But in some cases where the rash remains for days, the rash may become crusty and heal with slight deterioration of the skin.

Lupus rash in case of Bullous Lupus Erythematosus

In case of bullous lupus erythematosus, lupus rash usually appears in the area exposed to the sun. The rash develops into blisters that are filled with a clear fluid. These lesions may heal without scarring but they reappear episodically.

Lupus rash in case of Lupus Panniculitis

In case of lupus panniculitis, lupus rash appears as deep nodules. The rash may develop into lesions. These lesions are situated below the skin in the subcutaneous tissue, and they heal with a deep deterioration of the skin in the affected area.

Lupus rash in case of Neonatal Lupus

In case of neonatal lupus, the lupus rash is similar to the rash as seen in case of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. This rash is commonly seen in newborn babies.