Vitiligo is a disease that causes areas of skin to lose their color. When melanocytes,
the cells that produce skin colour, are killed, this happens. Vitiligo can appear on any
area of the body and afflict persons of any age, race, or gender.
Vitiligo is a condition that affects around 1% of the population and may be
emotionally and socially disastrous. Many people find its irregular evolution, which
can be sluggish or fast, very annoying.
Vitiligo has no known treatment as of yet. However, because to current research that
is expanding our understanding of the processes involved in this disorder and
perhaps new strategies to treat it, there is new hope on the horizon.
Vitiligo is often regarded to be an autoimmune illness in which a person's immune
system assaults their own body by mistake (in this case, it attacks melanocytes).
Furthermore, vitiligo patients melanocytes appear to be unable to cope with an
imbalance of antioxidants and damaging free radicals in the body, resulting in cell
death and damage.
Nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV) and Segmental vitiligo are the two types of vitiligo:
- NSV is more prevalent and happens when patches of skin with reduced pigmentation appear in different parts of the body. The majority of people see some symmetry in the positioning of these patches (e.g., both upper thighs).
- The pigmentation in Segmental vitiligo affects a single limb or body part. The actual etiology of vitiligo is unknown, but experts investigating the ailment believe it is an autoimmune disorder brought on by specific variables such as external or environmental stresses, as well as internal or emotional stress.
They've found certain gene variants that make you more prone to acquire
vitiligo, but just because you have the genes doesn't imply you'll get it. Vitiligo
is a condition that affects everyone equally, therefore no one group is more or
less prone to have it. People of color, on the other hand, are more aware of
the problem. While vitiligo may appear at any age, most people discover
symptoms in their 20s and acquire it before turning 40.
While the majority of persons with vitiligo are generally healthy, there is a link
between the condition and thyroid problems (either over- or underactivity of the
thyroid). It's less common when it's combined with other autoimmune diseases like
lupus or type 1 diabetes.
What is the treatment for vitiligo?
Vitiligo has no known cure. The purpose of medical therapy is to achieve a uniform
skin tone by either repigmenting or removing the existing pigment (depigmentation).
Camouflage therapy, repigmentation therapy, light therapy, and surgery are all
common treatments. Counseling may be suggested as well. The therapy you receive
is determined by your age, the amount of skin affected and where it is located, how
rapidly the disease is advancing, and how it is impacting your life.
To help restore skin color or balance out skin tone, medications and light-based
treatments are available, albeit outcomes vary and are unpredictable. Furthermore,
some therapies have severe negative effects. As a result, your doctor may advise
that you initially attempt modifying the look of your skin using self-tanning or
cosmetics.If you and your doctor decide to use a medicine, surgery, or treatment to
address your disease, the evaluation process might take months.
A variety of therapies are available to help depigmented skin regain its color-
- Camouflage therapy
- Applying sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 can prove effective. In addition, the sunscreen should protect against ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A rays (UVB and UVA). Sunscreen reduces tanning and hence reduces the difference between afflicted and normal skin.
- Makeup can also help hide depigmented spots.
- Hair dyes, if you have vitiligo that affects your hair.
- If the illness is severe, depigmentation treatment with the medication
monobenzone may be employed. This drug is given to pigmented skin spots
and turns them white to match the vitiligo regions.
- Phototherapy
- Light therapy with ultraviolet B (UVB) light is one of the oldest and most successful therapies. Depigmented skin is exposed to UVB light many times a week, either in a clinic or at home, for this therapy. In many cases, light therapy is utilized in conjunction with topical drugs administered to the skin. Topical steroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors (such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus), and topical vitamin D analogues are examples of topical therapies (such as calcipotriol and tacalcitol). Psoralen, a kind of medicine that was once often used in combination with phototherapy, is no longer widely utilized.
- Surgery- Surgical treatment may be an option for certain people if medicinal therapies are unsuccessful. Skin grafts can be extracted from pigmented portions of the body, such as the buttocks or hips, and transplanted to depigmented patches in more visible places.
Future potential treatments for Vitiligo-
1. The following treatments are being investigated:
A color-producing cell-stimulating medication (melanocytes). This prospective
medication, known as afamelanotide, is injected beneath the skin to
encourage the formation of melanocytes.
2. A medication that aids in the regulation of melanoctyes. Prostaglandin E2 is
being studied as a potential treatment for vitiligo that isn't extensive or
spreading. It's administered as a gel on the skin.
What should one be aware of when it comes to living with vitiligo?
When researching vitiligo, you may come across the statement that vitiligo is not life-
threatening, but it is life-altering. One cause for this is that vitiligo progresses over
time. Another aspect is that many cultures value looks and feel that being unusual
should be avoided. This is especially true in the case of women.
It is critical for everyone to take responsibility for their own health. It's critical to
educate yourself about vitiligo and locate a doctor who is knowledgeable about the
illness and treatment alternatives. Make sure your voice is heard if you acquire any
new symptoms that cause you concern or if you have concerns.
At Skinfinity Derma, our team of skilled dermatologists and experts aim to serve the
patients who have constantly struggled with the thought of whether vitiligo can be
cured or not.
Our doctors constantly work on providing the best possible support and treatment for
Vitiligo. With a combination of skills, determination and excellence, Skinfinity Derma
has time and again proven itself to be the best vitiligo treatment place in Noida.
