What is Vitiligo? Live Science – June 5, 2014
- Vitiligo, a human skin condition that turns patches of skin and hair white, it is not a disease we hear much about, although it affects approximately 1% of the population.
Immune system cells usually fight infection but in vitiligo, a person’s own immune system cells start to attack the skin’s pigment cells (melanocytes). The destruction of the pigment cells result in white spots on the skin and sometimes also the mucosa (lips and genitals) and hair, eyelashes or eyebrows. This is not because the immune system is inactive or underactive but rather a result of it simply Behaving badly”.
It is not an infection, nor is it contagious, cancerous or caused by food.
- Some people may develop vitiligo in areas of skin trauma (such as surgery, cuts or abrasions) and some describe a worsening of the condition at times of stress but neither trauma nor stress cause vitiligo to develop.
People with vitiligo may have many white spots over different parts of the body or just one area of skin.
Unfortunately, there is no way to determine if a person’s vitiligo will be progressive over time. The condition undoubtedly carries a significant psychological burden for many which may impact on work, life and relationships. Education and increasing public awareness of vitiligo is the sure way to remedy this problem.
Treatments in the spotlight
While not all patients with vitiligo will want to or need to treat their spots,
others do Ð and for this group, treatments are available to try to regain pigment in affected areas.
- Medicated creams and specialized medical light and laser sources are often the first step in treatment with most responding to this treatment.
- Hair-bearing areas such as the arms, legs and face respond better than non-hair bearing areas such as the hands, feet and lips to this treatment.
- There is also a medicated bleaching cream available for those with very large areas of involvement on the body who prefer to Ego whiteout and remove color from the few remaining patches of normal skin.
A holistic approach to care is essential with counseling being a very valuable part of some peoples’ treatment plan. The exact treatment regimen chosen must be carefully and individually tailored by a dermatologist.
The time has come to reveal the truth, educate the community and raise awareness of this condition.
