Does vitiligo get whiter over time?

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.

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How fast does vitiligo turn 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).

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Does vitiligo get lighter?

Vitiligo occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) die or stop producing melanin — the pigment that gives your skin, hair and eyes color. The involved patches of skin become lighter or white.

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Does vitiligo fade over time?

Treatment cannot cure vitiligo.

Treatment can help restore lost skin color, but the color (repigmentation) may fade over time. To keep their results, many patients have maintenance treatments.

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Does vitiligo get better with age?

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.

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Causes of discoloured patches on skin?-Dr. Nischal K

24 related questions found

What is the peak age of vitiligo?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, up to half of people who develop vitiligo do so before the age of 20. But despite its high incidence in childhood and early adulthood, vitiligo can happen at any age, says the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).

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Can vitiligo stop at early stage?

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.

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What are the stages of vitiligo?

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.

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What makes vitiligo worse?

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.

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Can vitamin D reverse vitiligo?

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.

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Can vitiligo be barely noticeable?

Vitiligo can cause minor changes or extensive changes in the skin. In some people, it may be hardly noticeable, while in others it is obvious. In dark-skinned people the vitiligo patches are obvious since they contrast with normal skin.

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Can vitiligo go away naturally?

There is no "cure" for vitiligo. Sometimes patches go away on their own. But when that doesn't happen, doctors can prescribe treatments that might help even out skin tone.

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What makes vitiligo better?

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.

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What can be mistaken for vitiligo?

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.

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Where does vitiligo first appear?

The signs of vitiligo can appear at any stage of life, and include: Loss of skin color in patches, usually seen first on your face, hands, arms, legs, and feet. Premature whitening of your body hair, including facial hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows.

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How progressive is vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a progressive disease that may evolve either slowly or rapidly. While some people develop only a few patches of white skin, others can get patches that cover most of their body.

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Is sunlight good for vitiligo?

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.

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What is the trigger of vitiligo?

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.

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Can stress speed up vitiligo?

In conclusion, the findings from this study indicate that vitiligo patients have high levels of perceived stress. In patients predisposed to vitiligo, metabolic and psychological stress might influence the onset and progression of vitiligo.

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How do you know if vitiligo is active?

Patches turn white

When vitiligo is actively destroying cells that give a person's skin its color, the patches tend to be pink or tricolor (causing a zone of tan skin between a person's natural skin color and the white vitiligo). Once vitiligo is no longer active, the patches turn completely white, as shown here.

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Why is my skin getting lighter in patches?

Some people who develop light spots and patches have vitiligo. This condition develops when your body starts destroying some of the cells that give your skin its color. In areas where the skin cells have been destroyed, you see loss of skin color. People of all skin colors can develop vitiligo.

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Which vitiligo has bad prognosis?

The one significant observation that we found to have the poor prognostic implication in vitiligo is the presence of mucosal vitiligo.

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Do white spots on skin always mean vitiligo?

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.

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Is vitiligo always changing?

The course of vitiligo varies and is unpredictable. Some areas may regain normal pigment (coloring), but other new areas of pigment loss may appear. Skin that is repigmented may be slightly lighter or darker than the surrounding skin. Pigment loss may get worse over time.

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When is the best time to go out in the sun for vitiligo?

Say Hello to Sunshine: Expose the affected areas to early morning sunlight i.e. just as soon as the sun rises as it consists of ultraviolet A-rays (320-400nm) which stimulate pigment-forming cells (melanin).

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