What is Vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a condition in which you lose the pigment of your skin.
What Causes Vitiligo?
The exact cause of vitiligo is unknown, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Researchers think that vitiligo could be an autoimmune response, meaning that the body attacks itself. In this case, your body destroys its own melanocytes so that the pigment is lost. Vitiligo also appears to be an inherited condition. Up to 30 percent of people who have vitiligo have a family member with the same condition
What Are the Symptoms of Vitiligo?
The main symptom of vitiligo is the absence of pigment on the skin. Three different patterns of depigmentation are possible:
•In a focal pattern, the loss of skin color appears in only a few small areas.
•In a segmental pattern, depigmentation occurs on one side of the body.
•In a generalized pattern, the loss of melanin occurs on both sides of the body in a symmetrical pattern.
The generalized pattern is the most common type of vitiligo. Depigmentation in any of the three patterns can appear on your:
•face
•arms
•underarms
•legs
•hands
•feet
•lips
•groin
The lining of the inside of your mouth may also lose color.
Premature graying of scalp and facial hair can also be a sign of vitiligo. This includes your eyebrows and eyelashes.
What are the diagnosis of Vitiligo?
Your doctor will review your medical history and possibly test a skin sample to diagnose vitiligo. Family history of the condition and reports of sunburns or blistering are considered. Your doctor might also run blood tests to check your vitamin B-12 levels and thyroid function. An overactive thyroid and a deficiency of B-12 are often associated with vitiligo. Running these tests can help you get prompt treatment for any related conditions if needed.
How to treat Vitiligo?
Vitiligo is painless and benign. The goal of treatment is to restore pigment to your skin, which is cosmetic. Treating vitiligo is a long-term commitment. Most therapies don’t show results for several months. Treatments include the following:
Steroids
Topical medications can be effective ways to repigment the white patches of skin. Topical steroid medications are used in children and adults. Steroids must be applied to the skin daily for at least three months before you can expect to see results. Steroid creams can have some adverse effects, including a thinning of the skin or streaks of color on the skin.
Ultraviolet Light
Ultraviolet light therapy can restore pigment in some people with vitiligo. Most often, you are required to take a medication called psoralen, which causes the skin to be more sensitive to the light treatment. Psoralen is available in both topical and oral forms. The combination of psoralen and UVA rays is called PUVA treatment. It darkens the light areas of your skin.
Since you’re more sensitive to sunlight when using psoralen, you should protect the rest of your body with sunscreen. You can get PUVA treatment several times per week in your doctor’s office.
Surgery Options
In severe cases, you may elect to have surgery to try to restore normal skin tone. Skin grafting takes healthy skin and places it in an area that has been affected by vitiligo. Such surgical procedures are possibilities for people whose vitiligo hasn’t improved despite several years of consistent treatment. The surgery is expensive, rarely covered by insurance, and can cause scarring.
Vitiligo is a condition in which you lose the pigment of your skin.
What Causes Vitiligo?
The exact cause of vitiligo is unknown, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Researchers think that vitiligo could be an autoimmune response, meaning that the body attacks itself. In this case, your body destroys its own melanocytes so that the pigment is lost. Vitiligo also appears to be an inherited condition. Up to 30 percent of people who have vitiligo have a family member with the same condition
What Are the Symptoms of Vitiligo?
The main symptom of vitiligo is the absence of pigment on the skin. Three different patterns of depigmentation are possible:
•In a focal pattern, the loss of skin color appears in only a few small areas.
•In a segmental pattern, depigmentation occurs on one side of the body.
•In a generalized pattern, the loss of melanin occurs on both sides of the body in a symmetrical pattern.
The generalized pattern is the most common type of vitiligo. Depigmentation in any of the three patterns can appear on your:
•face
•arms
•underarms
•legs
•hands
•feet
•lips
•groin
The lining of the inside of your mouth may also lose color.
Premature graying of scalp and facial hair can also be a sign of vitiligo. This includes your eyebrows and eyelashes.
What are the diagnosis of Vitiligo?
Your doctor will review your medical history and possibly test a skin sample to diagnose vitiligo. Family history of the condition and reports of sunburns or blistering are considered. Your doctor might also run blood tests to check your vitamin B-12 levels and thyroid function. An overactive thyroid and a deficiency of B-12 are often associated with vitiligo. Running these tests can help you get prompt treatment for any related conditions if needed.
How to treat Vitiligo?
Vitiligo is painless and benign. The goal of treatment is to restore pigment to your skin, which is cosmetic. Treating vitiligo is a long-term commitment. Most therapies don’t show results for several months. Treatments include the following:
Steroids
Topical medications can be effective ways to repigment the white patches of skin. Topical steroid medications are used in children and adults. Steroids must be applied to the skin daily for at least three months before you can expect to see results. Steroid creams can have some adverse effects, including a thinning of the skin or streaks of color on the skin.
Ultraviolet Light
Ultraviolet light therapy can restore pigment in some people with vitiligo. Most often, you are required to take a medication called psoralen, which causes the skin to be more sensitive to the light treatment. Psoralen is available in both topical and oral forms. The combination of psoralen and UVA rays is called PUVA treatment. It darkens the light areas of your skin.
Since you’re more sensitive to sunlight when using psoralen, you should protect the rest of your body with sunscreen. You can get PUVA treatment several times per week in your doctor’s office.
Surgery Options
In severe cases, you may elect to have surgery to try to restore normal skin tone. Skin grafting takes healthy skin and places it in an area that has been affected by vitiligo. Such surgical procedures are possibilities for people whose vitiligo hasn’t improved despite several years of consistent treatment. The surgery is expensive, rarely covered by insurance, and can cause scarring.