Vitiligo is a disorder that causes pigment loss in the Skin and other parts of the body. It is a long-term problem in which growing patches of skin lose their colour. That is the cells that are responsible for your skin colour are destroyed. Melanocytes give skin its colour and protect it from the sun's UV rays. Melanocytes are the cells responsible for producing the skin pigment will no longer produce skin pigment, called melanin and the patches appear when melanocytes within the skin die off. Once the cells no longer produce melanin, areas of your skin will lose colour or turn white.
Vitiligo can be affected by people of any age, gender, or ethnic group. Vitiligo is not contagious Even though it can affect many different parts of the body. Vitiligo is not a disease which transmits from one to someone else. Vitiligo is not usually painful or itchy, but receiving a diagnosis could bring you peace of mind and help you understand what’s happening to your skin.
Treatment
Treatments for vitiligo aim to restore colour balance to your skin. Treatments mainly aim to add pigment otherwise remove it. Medical, surgical, or a combination of both these are the treatments. It is not necessary that all treatments work for everyone and some treatments may cause unwanted side effects too. Consult with your doctor if you start experiencing side effects due to a treatment.
Medications
There is no specific medicine which can stop the process of vitiligo. With some medicines or with light therapy it can help to restore some skin tone. Creams can control inflammation especially applying corticosteroid cream to the affected skin may help return colour, particularly if you start using it early in the disease. You may not see a change in your skin's colour for several months. These creams are effective and easy to use but at the same time, it can cause side effects, such as skin thinning or the appearance of streaks or lines on your skin.
Therapies
Psoralen and light therapy are used to cure Vitiligo. With this treatment, it returns colour to the light patches. You can take this treatment either by mouth or apply it to the affected skin, then you're exposed to ultraviolet A (UVA), UVB light or excimer light. These treatments have better results than just medication or just light. Repeat this treatment up to three times a week for six to 12 months. Drawbacks are it can include redness, swelling, itching and dry skin.
Surgery
If light therapy doesn't work, surgery may be an option for you. Surgery can also be used with those therapies. The goal of the following techniques is to even out your skin tone by restoring colour.
Skin grafting is another way in which it removes very small sections of your normal, pigmented skin and attaches them to areas that have lost pigment. If you have small patches of vitiligo this procedure is sometimes used.
Blister grafting is the process in which your doctor creates blisters on your pigmented skin, usually with suction. After that removes the tops of the blisters and transplants them to an area of discoloured skin.
Tattooing or micro pigmentation. Here the doctor uses a special surgical instrument to implant pigment into your skin.
Vitiligo can be affected by people of any age, gender, or ethnic group. Vitiligo is not contagious Even though it can affect many different parts of the body. Vitiligo is not a disease which transmits from one to someone else. Vitiligo is not usually painful or itchy, but receiving a diagnosis could bring you peace of mind and help you understand what’s happening to your skin.
Treatment
Treatments for vitiligo aim to restore colour balance to your skin. Treatments mainly aim to add pigment otherwise remove it. Medical, surgical, or a combination of both these are the treatments. It is not necessary that all treatments work for everyone and some treatments may cause unwanted side effects too. Consult with your doctor if you start experiencing side effects due to a treatment.
Medications
There is no specific medicine which can stop the process of vitiligo. With some medicines or with light therapy it can help to restore some skin tone. Creams can control inflammation especially applying corticosteroid cream to the affected skin may help return colour, particularly if you start using it early in the disease. You may not see a change in your skin's colour for several months. These creams are effective and easy to use but at the same time, it can cause side effects, such as skin thinning or the appearance of streaks or lines on your skin.
Therapies
Psoralen and light therapy are used to cure Vitiligo. With this treatment, it returns colour to the light patches. You can take this treatment either by mouth or apply it to the affected skin, then you're exposed to ultraviolet A (UVA), UVB light or excimer light. These treatments have better results than just medication or just light. Repeat this treatment up to three times a week for six to 12 months. Drawbacks are it can include redness, swelling, itching and dry skin.
Surgery
If light therapy doesn't work, surgery may be an option for you. Surgery can also be used with those therapies. The goal of the following techniques is to even out your skin tone by restoring colour.
Skin grafting is another way in which it removes very small sections of your normal, pigmented skin and attaches them to areas that have lost pigment. If you have small patches of vitiligo this procedure is sometimes used.
Blister grafting is the process in which your doctor creates blisters on your pigmented skin, usually with suction. After that removes the tops of the blisters and transplants them to an area of discoloured skin.
Tattooing or micro pigmentation. Here the doctor uses a special surgical instrument to implant pigment into your skin.
