🌿 Autoimmune Disorders and Their Impact on Skin, Scalp and Hair

Autoimmune Flare Ups

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues.
While symptoms vary widely, many of these disorders affect the skin, scalp, and hair, leading to dryness, rashes, shedding, or texture changes that can be distressful.

🦋 Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Overview:
An autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, slowing thyroid hormone production.

Why it matters:
Thyroid hormones influence cell turnover, circulation, and oil production. When they fall too low, the skin and hair often reflect that imbalance.

Common skin, hair, and nail changes:

• Diffuse thinning of scalp and eyebrow hair
• Dry, coarse, or brittle hair
• Brittle, ridged, or slow-growing nails
• Dry, pale, cool, or puffy skin
• Rough, itchy or sensitive patches, on the skin and scalp

 ⚖️ Graves’ Disease

Overview:
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system overstimulates the thyroid gland, causing it to produce excess thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism).

Why it matters:
Too much thyroid hormone accelerates the body’s metabolism, affecting heart rate, body temperature, and nutrient utilization. That internal overdrive frequently shows up in the skin, scalp, and hair.

Common skin, scalp, and hair changes:

• Fine, soft, and rapidly growing hair that may thin over time
• Diffuse hair shedding (telogen effluvium) due to accelerated growth and turnover
• Warm, moist, or flushed skin caused by increased circulation
• Excessive sweating and oiliness
• Itchy rashes or hives, often worsened by stress or heat

🌺 Lupus Erythematosus

Overview:
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect multiple organ systems, including the skin. The immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, leading to inflammation, redness, and lesions that can vary in severity and appearance.

Types of Lupus That Affect the Skin:

• Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE): Primarily impacts the skin and scalp.
• Discoid Lupus (DLE): Causes thick, scaly, coin-shaped lesions, often on the face, ears, and scalp. These patches may scar and lead to permanent hair loss in affected areas.
• Subacute Cutaneous Lupus (SCLE): Produces ring-shaped or psoriasiform lesions that are usually non-scarring but may increase sun sensitivity.
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): Involves internal organs as well as skin. Common features include the “butterfly rash”—a red rash across the cheeks and nose—and increased hair fragility (“lupus hair”) or general thinning.

Common skin and scalp symptoms:

• Persistent redness or rashes on sun-exposed areas (face, chest, arms)
• Sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitivity)
• Scaly or crusted plaques on the scalp leading to scarring alopecia
• Fragile, brittle hair that breaks easily
• Pigment changes after lesions heal (lighter or darker patches)

 💇 Inflammatory Skin & Scalp Disorders

Psoriasis

• Causes skin cells to multiply too quickly, forming raised, discolored plaques with silvery scales.
• Scalp psoriasis can itch, flake, and occasionally lead to temporary shedding from scratching or inflammation.

Scleroderma

• Triggers excessive collagen production, making the skin thick and tight.
• Linear Morphea (“En Coup de Sabre”): A line of hardened, waxy skin across the scalp or forehead that can leave localized hair loss.

Alopecia Areata

• The immune system targets hair follicles, producing smooth, round bald patches on the scalp, brows, or body.

🌸 A Note of Understanding

This is not an exhaustive list of autoimmune conditions or their skin, scalp, and hair symptoms. Everyone’s experience is unique. Even with the right medication, consistent routines, and careful attention, flare-ups can still happen—and often without clear warning.

Living with an autoimmune disorder can mean navigating cycles of calm and recurrence, which can be discouraging at times. Recognizing those shifts early and responding with care, gentleness, and patience is an important part of long-term management.

This is also not meant to give medical advice or diagnosis. Please see your doctor first, if experiencing any new or unexplained symptoms.

 

🌿 Plant-Based Remedies and Supportive Ingredients

While autoimmune conditions require medical care and monitoring, certain botanical and plant-based ingredients can help calm inflammation, support the skin barrier, and strengthen follicles. These are backed by dermatological or clinical research for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and reparative properties. We are your advocate for distressed skin and scalp. See our collection

For Dry, Inflamed, or Itchy Skin

• Chamomile (Matricaria Recutita): Naturally calming and anti-inflammatory; reduces redness and irritation.
• Calendula (Calendula Officinalis): Promotes wound healing and soothes inflamed or compromised skin barriers.
• Milk Thistle (Silybum Marianum) and Pomegranate Oil: Rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids that repair and protect skin from oxidative stress.
• Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel- It soothes inflammation, which is a common cause of itching. It contains tannins and antioxidants that reduce swelling, calm irritation, and offer a gentle way to provide relief from bug bites, sunburn, and general skin irritations. 

For Skin Barrier Repair & Moisture Retention

• Safflower, Sunflower, and Shea Butter: Replenish lipids, reduce transepidermal water loss, and restore softness to dry or scaly skin.
• Frankincense & Blue Tansy: Offer anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness and irritation and are used to calm the skin and promote relaxation.

For Scalp Health and Hair Growth Support

• Rosemary and Peppermint Extracts: Stimulate circulation to the follicles and may promote growth while reducing inflammation.
• Redensyl® and AnaGain™: Botanically derived actives shown to extend the hair-growth phase and reduce shedding.
• Alfalfa, Ginseng, and Ashwagandha Extracts: Adaptogenic botanicals that help calm inflammation and oxidative stress in the scalp.
  (Key ingredients in 826 & Co.’s Crown Scalp & Hair Serum.)

For Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

• Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis): Rich in polyphenols that reduce free radical damage and inflammation.
• Licorice Root: Helps calm redness and irritation in sensitive or autoimmune-affected skin.
• Blue Tansy and Copaiba Balsam: Offer gentle antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits for reactive skin or scalp.

Lifestyle

• Adequate hydration, gentle movement, and balanced sleep remain foundational i

🩺Consult a Professional

This content is intended for educational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. If you have an autoimmune or chronic skin condition, consult your healthcare provider or dermatologist for personalized care. Flare-ups can happen even with consistent treatment and self-care. 

🧠 Your Distressed Skin Advocates

We understand that skin and hair challenges can impact emotional well-being, often because of their visibility and the lifelong effort required to manage them.

At 826 & Co., we take pride in creating lush, highly effective formulas that feel and smell as beautiful as they perform. Every ingredient is chosen for its proven ability to calm, protect, and transform, supporting skin and scalp health through plant-powered science.

We believe that self-care is self-love, not selfish, but necessary.
Because you are worth it.

✨ You are beautifully and wonderfully made. ✨

✨ Sources & References

Information in this post draws from trusted dermatological and medical organizations, including:

• American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) – Autoimmune skin & hair disorders
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Thyroid, autoimmune, and stress research
• Lupus Foundation of America – Cutaneous and systemic lupus resources
• National Psoriasis Foundation – Psoriasis and scalp care guidance
• Mayo Clinic – Graves’, Hashimoto’s, scleroderma, and alopecia areata information
• Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology – Psychodermatology and immune-mediated inflammation
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) – Stress and immune system interaction