No drug can stop the process of vitiligo — the loss of pigment cells (melanocytes). But some drugs, used alone, in combination or with light therapy, can help restore some color. Drugs that control inflammation. Applying a corticosteroid cream to affected skin might return color.
This type of vitiligo often begins at an early age and progresses for 6 to 12 months and then usually stops. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease. Normally, the immune system works throughout your body to fight off and defend your body from viruses, bacteria, and infection.
After 6 to 12 months, segmental vitiligo tends to stabilize, meaning that the color loss stops. Once it stops, most people with segmental vitiligo don't develop new patches or spots.
Signs and symptoms of vitiligo include: Patches of skin or mucous membranes that lose color. These can appear white or lighter than your natural skin tone. Patches of hair on your body turn silver, gray or white.
Segmental vitiligo is unique, even beyond the fact that it doesn't cross the midline. It spreads very quickly, faster than the other forms, but only for about 6 months (sometimes up to a year).
What causes vitiligo? Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease. This type of disease develops when your immune system attacks part of your own body. If you have vitiligo, your immune system attacks cells in your body called melanocytes. These are cells that make pigment.
Potential triggers include sunburn, exposure to certain chemicals, and trauma or injury to the skin, according to the article in F1000 Research. These triggers can also prompt vitiligo to spread in people who already have the condition.
Pityriasis versicolor can sometimes be confused with vitiligo, as they both cause the skin to become discoloured in patches. But there are ways to tell the difference: vitiligo often develops symmetrically (on both sides of your body at the same time), while pityriasis versicolor may not.
Hypopigmented spots that are NOT vitiligo. If the spots are not truly white, but hypopigmented and not depigmented (they don't enhance by Wood's lamp), then they are NOT vitiligo and could be any number of different diseases and conditions.
Localized: Skin patches are found on limited areas of the body. Generalized: Skin patches are scattered around the body. Mucosal : Vitiligo affects the mucous membranes found in the mouth and/or genitals. Focal: Skin patches remain in a small area of the body without spreading in the first two years.
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.
Vitiligo is a complicated condition that has many unknowns. The condition can start at any age, and may become more prominent over time. Whether or not it is associated with aging, or gets worse with age, is truly undetermined at this point.
Treatment cannot cure vitiligo.
While researchers are looking for a cure, treatment cannot currently cure this disease. Treatment can help restore lost skin color, but the color (repigmentation) may fade over time. To keep their results, many patients have maintenance treatments.
“We never say 'cure' with vitiligo, but a vast majority of our surgical patients go into remission and are able to maintain color for five years,” Dr. Hamzavi says. “If they respond, they are likely to maintain the repigmentation for up to 10 years.”
Significant number of vitiligo patients have diverse psychological problems. Hormonal response to psychological stress such as cortisol has a role in the development of vitiligo.
Vitiligo often starts as a pale patch of skin that gradually turns completely white. The centre of a patch may be white, with paler skin around it. If there are blood vessels under the skin, the patch may be slightly pink, rather than white. The edges of the patch may be smooth or irregular.
Light therapy.
Phototherapy with narrow band ultraviolet B (UVB) has been shown to stop or slow the progression of active vitiligo. It might be more effective when used with corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors. You'll need therapy two to three times a week.
What are vitiligo symptoms? Vitiligo symptoms showcase discoloration on the most exposed skin but its development is not always predictable. Most of the times, if it develops fully, it turns your entire body into pale white which is often addressed as Universal Vitiligo.
A skin biopsy, which means taking a small sample of your skin to be examined under a microscope. Doctors can examine the tissue for the missing melanocytes seen in the depigmented skin of a person with vitiligo.
A vitiligo diagnosis typically involves a review of your symptoms and medical history, a physical examination of the skin, and, potentially, a skin biopsy or blood work.
About 15 to 25 percent of people with vitiligo are also affected by at least one other autoimmune disorder, particularly autoimmune thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis , pernicious anemia, Addison disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, celiac disease, Crohn disease, or ulcerative colitis.
Moreover, people with vitiligo lack melanin, which is the body's natural protection from the sun, so sun exposure can be particularly dangerous. That's why it's vital that people with vitiligo use broad-spectrum sun protection with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 and above.
Vitiligo is believed to be an acquired condition, though a positive family history is seen in 30 to 40 percent of cases. Few cases of vitiligo at birth have been reported.
Collectively, our data suggest that metabolic stress might be involved with the onset and progression of vitiligo.