The condition known as vitiligo results in patches of skin losing its pigment. With time, the discolored spots typically enlarge. Any portion of the body’s skin might be impacted by the illness. The tongue and hair can both be impacted by it.
Melanin often controls the hue of skin and hair. Melanin-producing cells die or stop working, which causes vitiligo. All skin tones are affected by vitiligo, however those with dark or black skin may notice it more. Neither the ailment is infectious nor life-threatening. It could cause stress or make you feel self-conscious.
The afflicted skin’s color may return with vitiligo treatment. However, it doesn’t stop further skin color loss or recurrence. Your skin, hair, and eyes all have color thanks to a pigment called melanin. The skin’s pigment-generating cells die or stop production of melanin, which causes vitiligo. Anywhere on the body, skin blemishes begin to lighten, lose color, or turn white. Although the locations, rate, and severity of vitiligo’s effects are variable, the color loss typically first manifests on exposed body parts including the face, arms, and hands.
Why Does Vitiligo Occur?
When melanin, the pigment that gives your skin, hair, and eyes color, stops produced by pigment-producing cells called melanocytes, it results in vitiligo. The affected skin patches became lighter or white. The precise reason why these pigment cells malfunction or degenerate is unknown.
It might be connected to:
- An immune system condition (autoimmune condition)
- Family background (heredity)
- A catalyst, such as anxiety, a severe sunburn, or skin damage from coming into contact with chemicals
- Complications
Vitiligo patients may have a higher risk of:
- Psychological or social distress
- Sunburn
- Eye issues
- Loss of hearing
As previously stated, according to various theories, vitiligo is an autoimmune condition in which the body assaults the skin’s pigment-producing cells. Stress or a sunburn may be the initial cause of vitiligo, while heredity also plays a role. It equally affects people of all sexes and ethnic backgrounds, albeit darker skinned individuals may notice it more.
Symptoms
Signs of vitiligo include:
- Skin color loss that typically first manifests in patches on the hands, face, and regions near body cavities and the genitalia.
- Premature graying or whitening of your eyebrows, beard, eyelashes, or scalp hair
- Tissues that border the inside of the mouth and nose losing color (mucous membranes)
- Although vitiligo can begin at any age, it often manifests before the age of 30.
The following may be impacted by your vitiligo, depending on the type:
- Almost every skin surface. This type of vitiligo, also known as worldwide vitiligo, causes practically all skin surfaces to darken.
- Lots of body parts. Generalized vitiligo is the most prevalent form, and the discolored patches frequently progress on adjacent body parts in a similar manner (symmetrically).
- One side or portion of the body only. Segmental vitiligo is a form that typically starts earlier in life, progresses for a year or two, and then stops.
- One or a small number of body parts. The name for this kind of vitiligo is confined (focal).
- The hands and face. This type of vitiligo, also known as acrofacial vitiligo, affects the hands, face, and the skin surrounding body openings like the eyes, nose, and ears.
It’s challenging to forecast how this illness will develop. Without therapy, the patches may occasionally stop developing. The majority of the time, pigment loss affects the majority of the skin as it progresses. The skin occasionally regains its color.
Is Vitiligo Treatable?
Vitiligo has no known cause or therapy, but the medical staff at professional dermatology offices can offer procedures to restore color to the damaged areas. Each person with vitiligo experiences it differently, so it’s crucial to consult your personal doctor or another skin problem specialist as soon as possible to talk over effective treatment choices.
Certain treatments that may be available to you include:
Medications
Some people get improvements from regular skin-applied medications in three to six months. This therapy method necessitates routine dosage and effect monitoring.
PUVA treatment
A drug and ultraviolet A light are used in PUVA therapy, which may be more successful. The effects take two to three months to manifest, and further therapy may be necessary.
Narrow-band UVB
The most effective way to treat many skin conditions appears to be narrow-band UVB, which uses ultraviolet radiation that is localized in a very small spectrum. While narrow-band therapy has been studied for the treatment of psoriasis, it also holds promise as a potent cure for vitiligo and other skin conditions.
Laser Treatments
Although laser therapy can be utilized on any part of the body that has vitiligo, research has shown that it works best on the face and neck. If laser treatment is recommended, it has been successful in curing this challenging problem, however it may take up to twenty sessions. A portable device protects healthy skin by only applying the treatment to the areas that need it. Two or three times a week, relatively fast laser treatments are administered. The majority of patients report minimal discomfort throughout these laser treatments, but a few say the treatment region feels warm and somewhat sunburned. Within six to twelve treatments, re-pigmentation becomes apparent, and successful re-pigmentation is frequently accomplished over time. Individual outcomes will differ. Children, expectant women, and nursing mothers can all use it without risk.
When Should You See Your Doctor
If some of your skin, hair, or mucous membranes start to lose color, consult your doctor. Vitiligo has no treatment. However, therapy may stop or slow the discoloration process and help your skin regain some of its color.
Vitiligo is a skin issue that, while may be difficult to live with, does not have to put a damper on your lifestyle. There are a multitude of various options that are available to treat and slow down the process of the disease in order to assist you in feeling better and more confident with the skin that you are in. If you have any questions or concerns about vitiligo and how it is affecting you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor or dermatologist today for details and treatment options that may be available to you.
