Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and hair treatment: a large community based case-control study

Objective: To investigate the association of hair treatment, including permanent and non-permanent dyes, bleach, highlights and lowlights on the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: 150 SLE patients and 300 controls from Nottingham, UK were interviewed in a case-control study. Controls were matched to cases for gender and year of birth. All patients met at least four of the American Rheumatology Association criteria for SLE. Controls were randomly selected from the Nottingham Family Health Services Authority register. Information was collected via an interview-administered questionnaire concerning demographic variables and hair treatment. Results: For hair treatment no significantly associations were observed between ever using permanent colouring, non-permanent colouring, bleach or lowlights, and disease. Nevertheless a significant association (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.31-0.95) was observed between 'ever having' used highlights and disease with cases having used highlights less frequently than their healthy counterparts. No significant differences were observed in duration of usage of hair bleach, permanent colouring, non-permanent colouring, highlights and lowlights between cases and controls. Conclusions: Hair treatment or duration of hair treatment usage is not significant in the aetiology of SLE. Although patients with SLE were less likely in this study to have highlights than controls, for all other hair treatments no differences were observed.