Vitiligo

Vitiligo is disease of skin which is caused by Pigmentation disorder, the coloring matter in the cells and tissues of the body are affected, due to this retina and mucous membranes are destroyed(the membrane which contains the tissues that line inside of the mouth and nose) Due to this the skin appears white.

Till now the cause of this disease is not known but people develop different antibodies that destroy the in order of the Pigmentation in our body.

Causes of Vitiligo

There is no main cause of Vitiligo, but there are various theories, which develop this disease. People, who have vitiligo, develop antibodies that destroy melanocytes and turn open them instead of protecting them.

Other theory is that the melanocytes (special cells that make the pigment melanin that colors skin) destroy themselves. Patients may experience severe sunburn or emotional distress.

Symptoms of this decease

This disease is common in sun exposed areas like hands, lips, face, arms etc. The main area which is affected by vitiligo is sun exposed but it may be in eyelashes and beard. Some people who are affected by this who are having dark color may see the symptoms of this disease inside their mouth.

How Is Vitiligo Diagnosed

Firstly, doctor checks the family background about this disease and then checks his medical history. If the patient is very sensitive to the sun then the doctor examine the patient and take the sample of the affected skin.

The doctor may take the sample of his or her blood and he or she may be examined by eye test. The doctor takes the blood test to check the presence of antinuclear antibodies.

Treatment for Vitiligo

It is a long procedural to cure; it may be taken for six to eight months. It is only depend on the number of white patches on the body of the patient.

There are different therapies and the surgical treatment of Vitiligo which is fully dependent on the patient’s performance.

There are different medical therapies for Vitiligo like:

Topical psoralen photo chemotherapy

This therapy is recommended for adults and teenagers. In this therapy, a dose of psoralen will be taken by patient. Patient should be taken the dose according to doctor. There are some side effects of taking the dose for long term such as vomiting, nausea and sunburn.

Topical steroid therapy

Topical Steroid Therapy may be helpful for returning the skin back to the normal color. This type of therapy is usually done in the early stage in the disease.

For the children who are below ten years, the doctors will prefer to give treatment through the cream which is called corticosteroid cream. Patient must apply the cream on the white patches on their skin, this is the simplest

Depigmentation

Depigmentation is the best therapy in case of more than 50 percent disease on the body. Drug monobenzylether of hydroquinone will be prescribed by the doctor. The side effect of this therapy is redness and swelling of the skin.

Surgical Therapies

• Skin grafts using blisters

In this therapy, blisters are creating by the doctor on the pigmented skin of patient by using freezing cold, heat or suction. And then depigmented skin area can be transplanted. There is no risk of scarring after the treatment.

• Micro pigmentation

In this therapy, Tattooing are implanted by the special surgical devise into the skin. This treatment is effective for lip area. Tattooing may lead to episodes of blister outbreaks which are caused by the infection of herpes simplex virus.

Adjunctive Therapies

• Sunscreens

Patients should apply sunscreens lotion on the affected area. It can provide protection from UVA and UVB rays. It is very helpful to minimize tanning and sunburn.

• Cosmetics

In some cases, it can be covered by makeup, stains and self-tanning lotions. Cosmetic products are also very effective for people with vitiligo. Lydia O’Leary, Clinique, Vitadye, Dermablend and Fashion Flair offer dyes and makeup for people who have vitiligo, they may helpful for cover the affected area.