As doctors are not sure what causes lupus, the reasons that lupus affects the skin are also unclear. It is known that antibodies and other proteins that are used to fight infection are deposited in the skin inappropriately and cause inflammation. It is also known that proteins within the skin of lupus sufferers are more sensitive to ultraviolet rays contained in sunlight resulting in inflammation. A number of treatments are available for the skin in Lupus. These can be divided into topical, injection and oral treatments.
Topical treatments tend to consist of steroid creams and ointments.
These can range from the mild creams such as hydrocortisone to the stronger types such as betamethasone. These will sometimes be enough to control mild lupus rashes but should not be used continually, particularly on the face. In discoid lupus particularly troublesome areas can be injected with long acting steroids under the skin to promote healing. Most people will require oral treatment to control their skin problems. The antimalarials such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine and mepacrine are all very useful in controlling skin rashes.