Unfortunately laser hair removal with vitiligo is not safe; therefore it's a medical contra indication for the treatment. Laser treatments has the possibility of agitating your condition and making it worse, therefore laser hair removal is a strict no in this case.
At NYU Langone, dermatologists use new, effective forms of light therapy to minimize the appearance of depigmented patches of skin caused by vitiligo. Phototherapy and laser treatments are painless therapies administered in a doctor's office and are safe for people of all ages and skin tones.
The side effects of laser therapy are minimal. Most patients report no side effects. A few patients have reported a mild and short-lived redness at the treatment site. More serious side effects such as blistering and hyper-pigmentation are rare and short-lived.
Protect your skin from the sun.
A bad sunburn can worsen vitiligo. If you have a lighter skin tone, there's another advantage to protecting your skin from the sun. Without a tan, the lighter spots and patches are often less noticeable.
Hyper- and hypopigmentation after laser treatments are comparatively frequent complications, with hyperpigmentation occurring more commonly.
The black dots that appear after laser hair removal are called “post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.” They occur when the laser treatment causes damage to the hair follicle and surrounding skin. This results in an increased production of melanin, which is the pigment that gives colour to the skin.
Triggers. It's possible that vitiligo may be triggered by particular events, such as: stressful events, such as childbirth. skin damage, such as severe sunburn or cuts (this is known as the Koebner response)
Just as there isn't any standard vitiligo diet, there are no medically recognized foods to eat or avoid for the condition.
Effectiveness of excimer lasers for vitiligo
About 70% of people who opt for excimer laser treatment see results. However, the results may disappear in those who stop treatment within one year.
Laser therapy can result in misdirected or excessively intense burns, bleeding from the choriocapillaris, damage to macular and other ocular structures, and breaks in Bruch's membrane.
Lasers target a chromophore in the skin to deliver their energy. Their effect is theoretically considered as injury and may induce Koebner lesions in vitiligo patients.
Vitiligo — like many skin conditions — can be challenging to live with, mainly because of the way the skin looks. However, people with vitiligo are usually in good health and live normal lives. If it is not associated with symptoms that cause physical discomfort or complications, the condition may be left untreated.
The one significant observation that we found to have the poor prognostic implication in vitiligo is the presence of mucosal vitiligo.
Vitiligo can be triggered by stress to the melanin pigment-producing cells of the skin, the melanocytes.
To the best of our knowledge, vitamin D significantly affects melanocytes and keratinocytes. Studies suggest that vitamin D3 increases tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis in vitro [12], which may lead to repigmentation in vitiligo skin lesions.
Stress: The amount of pigment your melanocyte cells produce may change if you experience frequent emotional stress or physical stress on your body, especially after an injury. Environmental triggers: Factors like ultraviolet radiation and toxic chemical exposure can affect how your melanocyte cells function.
Vitamin C is not used and is contraindicated in treating vitiligo as it disrupts the melanin production pathways [21]. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that absorbs substances like calcium and magnesium.
Vitamin B12 has been shown to be useful for repigmentation in patients suffering from vitiligo. Folic acid (or vitamin B9) has been proven to be significant for treating vitiligo.
Topical steroids. Topical steroids come as a cream or ointment you apply to your skin. They can sometimes stop the spread of the white patches and may restore some of your original skin colour.
The treatment is quick and effective and causes minimal damage to the surrounding skin tissue. Patients will see results in around 7-10 days.