Vitiligo / leukoderma patches in the skin resistant to treatment are taken up for skin grafting surgery. Many surgical options are available today like mini punch grafting, cultures melanocyte transfer, non cultured epidermal suspension etc.
Vitiligo is a skin condition in which white patches appear on the skin. It develops on any part of the body, and most people affected with vitiligo will have white patches on many areas of the body.
The skin condition, vitiligo, is caused when the melanocytes or pigment cells stop the production of melanin. This lack of melanin pigment in the body results in the development of discoloured or lighter-coloured skin patches. It is basically an autoimmune disease directed against melanocytes in skin.
Vitiligo symptoms include:
Colourless or light coloured patchy skin, which usually occurs on the hands, face, and areas around body openings such as the mouth, nose and private parts.
Premature whitening of the hair on your head eyelashes, beard or eyebrows can also be early symptom
Loss of colour in the mucous membranes such as the inside skin of your mouth and nose.
There are many treatment modalities available for vitiligo. The main purpose of the treatment is to stop the spread of the white patches and to restore the normal skin colour.
Some of the non-surgical treatments:
Oral medications:
You can take these medications only after proper consultation with an experienced doctor. Oral medications help to stop the vitiligo from spreading.
Topical applications:
Topical applications like cream and solutions are used to repigment the skin. These topical applications are more effective in early stage of the disease than in late stage. Immunomodulators, pigment inducers are available in cream, lotion formulations which are very effective in treating localized vitiligo.
Light Therapy or Phototherapy:
This therapy is very effective in treating vitiligo. PUVA therapy has been used for many years Which acts on affected melanocytes by stimulating its function thus making up the deficient melanin. It is done with the aim of making the affected skin tone more similar to the natural skin tone. However, results may vary from patient to patient.
Cosmetic makeup:
You can mask these patches with cosmetic makeup and can help the patient to get back their confidence. Self-tanner creams are also recommended to use regularly to retain the skin colour.
All types of vitiligo surgical procedures' goal are to transfer pigment-producing cells or melanocytes from normal skin to the affected areas of the body.
Surgical treatment:
Surgical procedures for vitiligo are many types like the following
● Mini punch grafting
● Suction blister grafting
● Non-cultured epidermal grafting
● Cultured melanocyte grafting
● Ultra-thin skin grafting
Generally in the above surgical procedures, we take out skin from normal coloured areas to fix it in vitiligenous area. This is the last resort in vitiligo when all other forms of treatment fail.
There is nothing like the best treatment for vitiligo. It is highly variable for each individual. We, at Dr.Madhu’s skin and hair clinic
Topical corticosteroids, immunomodulators, psoralens, are all used with success in treating vitiligo.
Excimer laser, excimer lamp, immunomodulators and biological therapy are all the latest treatment options for vitiligo which produce good results in vitiligo.
Vitiligo is a disease of the skin but it incites psychological trauma. We have been managing our patients successfully by a holistic approach which includes proper counselling of the patient followed by an appropriate treatment regimen tailored to the specific needs of an individual. Get consultation earlier in the disease to get best benefits out of treatment.