Autoimmune Diseases That Cause Hair Loss: What It Means and What Helps

You might associate autoimmune conditions with symptoms like skin disease, chronic pain, and fatigue. But autoimmune disease hair loss can also happen.

Your immune system is meant to keep you healthy by attacking foreign bodies that can cause illness and infection. Sometimes, though, immune cells might mistake your own body tissues for foreign bodies, causing your immune system to attack your own cells. This is what happens with autoimmune diseases.

Every autoimmune disorder has its own range of symptoms. Certain conditions can affect scalp and hair health, leading to hair shedding.

We’ll cover which autoimmune diseases cause hair loss and explore treatment options.

Key Takeaways

• Autoimmune conditions can trigger hair shedding when immune cells attack follicles or scalp skin.

• Alopecia areata often causes patchy round bald spots and can affect body hair.

• Scarring disorders like lichen planopilaris may create smooth white patches and permanent loss.

• Regrowth often improves when the underlying condition is controlled and scalp inflammation settles.

11 Autoimmune Diseases That May Cause Hair Loss

Several autoimmune diseases are associated with hair loss. The most common ones are:

• Lichen planopilaris

• Alopecia areata

• Lupus

• Hashimoto’s disease

• Graves disease

• Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease

• Celiac disease

• Psoriasis

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Sjögren’s Syndrome

• Ankylosing Spondylitis

Let’s look at these in more detail.

1. Lichen Planopilaris

Unlike alopecia areata, lichen planopilaris (LP) is a very rare, scarring cause of permanent hair loss. LP shows up as smooth white patches on the scalp, with hair loss and loss of the hair follicle. LP is more likely to:

• Affect young adult women, although it can start later in life and affect men.

• Be associated with lichen planus, a condition that causes small bumps on the skin.

• Occur mainly on the scalp, although any hairy area of the body may be affected.

2. Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata (AA) typically causes nonscarring, patchy, round, or oval bald spots on the head. It may also occur anywhere there’s body hair. Alopecia areata affects nearly 700,000 people in the U.S. It can affect people of any race, gender, or age, but is more likely to be diagnosed:

• Early in life (40% of people are diagnosed before age 20)

• In women

• In people of certain ethnicities (more common in Asian, Black, and Latino people)

3. Lupus

According to the Lupus Foundation of America, hair loss and hair thinning are common among people with lupus.

Depending on the type of lupus you have, it might affect just your skin or your entire body. Cutaneous lupus (aka skin lupus) mostly affects the skin, while systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can have effects throughout the body.

The most well-known type of skin lupus is discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). It causes round skin lesions that are more prone to skin cancer than unaffected skin. These lesions can affect the scalp as well as the rest of the body.

Lupus-related hair loss can be caused by:

• Certain lupus treatments, which may have hair loss as a side effect

• Rashes or sores on the scalp, which can be a symptom of lupus

DLE can also cause issues like irregular skin pigmentation, scaly papules, and plaques on the scalp.

4. Hashimoto’s Disease

Thyroid disorders are associated with hair loss. This makes sense, as thyroid hormones are essential for hair follicles to grow and maintain healthy strands of hair. 

Thyroid disease is also linked to alopecia areata hair loss. Roughly 9 percent of alopecia areata patients have some form of thyroid dysfunction.

Hashimoto’s disease, also known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, is a condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. This leads to an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). In fact, Hashimoto’s is the most common form of hypothyroidism.

Hair loss from Hashimoto’s disease can look like:

• Thinning hair

• Slow hair growth

• Dry, brittle hair

• Increased hair breakage

Other symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease include:

• Fatigue

• Weight gain

• Constant coldness

• Depression

• Dry skin

• Myxedema (an edema-like skin condition)

Myxedema is a medical emergency, so seek medical attention right away if you’re experiencing swollen skin with fluid buildup.

5. Graves Disease

Another thyroid disorder, Graves disease is the most common form of hyperthyroidism. And just like hypothyroidism, the condition is linked to hair loss.

One study on 135 females with various forms of alopecia found that telogen effluvium (about 62 percent) and female pattern hair loss (roughly 24 percent) were the most common.

Thyroid issues were detected in 17 percent of those diagnosed with telogen effluvium — about 10 percent of all subjects had hypothyroidism, and around 7 percent had hyperthyroidism.

While research is limited, major abnormalities in thyroid serum levels seem to influence hair growth (or a lack thereof). Other symptoms of Graves disease include warm and moist skin, fine tremors, tachycardia (a heart rate over 100 beats per minute) and palmar erythema (red palms).

6. Crohn’s Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Gut disorders like Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can lead to hair loss, among other issues. However, there’s a lack of research when it comes specifically to Crohn’s disease and hair loss.

If you’re dealing with other inflammatory issues like lichen planopilaris, see our guide for a deeper dive.

IBD can present itself in various ways, but beyond tummy troubles, hair loss is something many patients report. According to case reports, hair loss has been linked to autoimmune diseases like alopecia areata and telogen effluvium, as well as medications commonly used for IBD, such as azathioprine and infliximab.

Inflammatory bowel disease may cause nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin B12 and iron, which have also been associated with hair loss. In one study on 150 patients with IBD, 33 percent reported hair loss as a symptom.

So, nope, it’s not just in your head if you feel like your hair has been thinning while dealing with a gut disorder.

7. Celiac Disease 

In celiac disease, your immune cells target your small intestine. And that disrupts the absorption of nutrients from the foods you eat.

So, one of the big reasons why celiac disease causes hair loss is this. However, you can also experience this because of the autoimmune conditions that coexist with it. 

Fortunately, hair loss caused by celiac disease can also be reversed, but you’ll have to make changes to your diet (no gluten).  

8. Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a medical condition where the immune system turns over skin cells too quickly. Basically, it speeds up the process of skin regeneration causing red, raised, scaly patches or silver scales known as plaques on the skin’s surface. This can affect several areas of your body, including your scalp.

Scalp psoriasis either occurs in patches or it can be widespread. It can extend beyond the scalp and also affect the forehead, nape, or the area behind the ears. It can be mild or severe, with cases ranging from light scaling to thick silvery plaques.

These patches of excess cells trigger intense itching that can’t be relieved by scratching. The intense inflammation associated with psoriatic skin lesions can loosen follicles, while frequent scratching and manipulation may cause hair loss.

Fortunately, this condition is manageable. Once scalp psoriasis is under control, most people with hair loss experience hair regrowth. But, while the problem persists, the American Academy of Dermatology Association provided ten ways to reduce hair loss when you’re wrestling with this condition:

9. Rheumatoid Arthritis 

Hair loss from rheumatoid arthritis is uncommon, but it can happen. The autoimmune disease itself doesn’t cause hair loss, but the medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis can.

For example, methotrexate and leflunomide are often used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, both of which suppress chronic inflammation.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, about 1 to 3 percent of people who take methotrexate and 10 percent of people who take leflunomide experience hair loss.   

Fortunately, as with most drug-related hair loss, this can be temporary. Your hair may grow back after stopping the medication or adjusting to the drug.

If you’ve noticed significant hair loss and think it might be related to your medication, speak with your healthcare provider. They might adjust your medication if necessary.

10. Sjögren’s Syndrome

Sjögren’s is another autoimmune disease, but it attacks the glands that produce tears and saliva in the body. 

Still, this condition can possibly attack the hair follicles as well, causing hair loss. The skin changes associated with Sjögren’s can also do the same. Even the medications for treating it can make you lose your hair. 

The hair loss in Sjögren’s is not always reversible since sometimes, it’s associated with a type of scarring alopecia. That can permanently destroy the hair follicles. 

Still, there are treatments that can help like steroids, finasteride or minoxidil. It will depend on the type of hair loss you’re suffering from. But it’s also very important to get your condition under control. 

11. Ankylosing Spondylitis 

Ankylosing spondylitis is another autoimmune condition that primarily results in arthritis of the spine. 

On its own, this condition does not cause hair loss. However, many people who have it still experience it. And this is mainly because of the medications that are used to treat it. 

It can, however, be managed. Alopecia caused by ankylosing spondylitis medications is usually reversible. 

You shouldn’t discontinue medication if you start experiencing hair loss while on a drug for ankylosing spondylitis. Talk to your doctor first.  

Is Autoimmune Disease Hair Loss Treatable?

Autoimmune-related hair loss can be treatable, but the goal isn’t only regrowth. It’s to manage the immune trigger that’s disrupting your follicles. The right approach depends on the cause, how active the condition is, and how much hair loss you’re seeing.

For alopecia areata, FDA-approved medications include immunosuppressive options such as baricitinib (Olumiant) and ritlecitinib (Litfulo). Because these medicines can raise infection risk, a clinician may consider other options first. Some providers also use “off-label” treatments when they believe the benefits outweigh the risks.

Other treatment options may include:

• Steroids (topical, oral, or injectable)

• Minoxidil (Rogaine)

• Anthralin (Zithranol)

• Methotrexate

• Dupilumab (Dupixent)

• Tofacitinib (Xeljanz)

Supportive care can also help while you treat the root cause. Natural oils (batana, castor, rosemary) may improve the look and feel of fragile hair by reducing dryness and breakage, but they don’t treat the autoimmune trigger itself. If you try an oil, patch test first and stop if you notice itching, burning, or worsening redness.

The key is still treating the underlying condition, especially when it affects other parts of the body. For example, if hair loss is tied to lupus, improving disease control can help. Since response varies by condition and person, ask a healthcare professional what results are realistic for your situation and timeline.

Slow Autoimmune Hair Loss and Condition With Keyoma Batana Oil

Hair loss tied to autoimmune issues can feel unfair, because it often comes in waves and ignores your effort. The key insight is that “autoimmune hair loss” is not one problem. Some patterns are non-scarring and may regrow as inflammation settles, while others are scarring, which can permanently damage follicles if it goes on too long.

That is why scalp signals matter more than the number of hairs in your brush. If you also notice burning, tenderness, thick scale, or shiny skin where hair used to be, treat it as a timing issue, not a patience issue. Visit the Keyoma Hair Care blog for checklists, symptom trackers, and routine guides.