“ Black spot(Mole) is a blessing whereas White spot(vitiligo) is a curse ”.
Such is the impact of this disease. Range of treatments available like phototherapy, cell transfer surgery, medications etc., Consulting earlier will yield for better results.
Vitiligo is a skin disease that causes white or discoloured patches on the skin. Normally, the colour of skin and hair is determined by the melanin pigment present in your body. Vitiligo occurs when cells that make melanin pigment stop functioning or die. Vitiligo affects people of all skin types, from fair to wheatish to dark but these discoloured patches may be more noticeable in darker skin people.
The vitiligo affected areas usually get spread with time. It can affect the skin on any part of the body including facial areas such as the eyes, mouth, and nose. Vitiligo can occur on your hair, makes it grey early and even it can affect the inside of the mouth/lips.
It is more common in individuals with autoimmune diseases, and it might run in families.
This condition is not a contagious or life-threatening or harmful disease but it is still a source of great stress for people with this condition due to the unattractive patches seen on the visible areas of the skin such as the face, neck, hands, shoulders, etc.
Vitiligo can be categorised into the following types based on its spreading
Generalized Vitiligo - This is the most common type in which macules appear in various places on the body.
Segmental Vitiligo - This type is restricted to one side of the body or in one particular area, such as the face or hands or legs.
It progresses for a year or two, then stops.
Mucosal Vitiligo - This type affects mucous membranes of the mouth and/or the private parts..
Universal Vitiligo - This is another rare type of vitiligo, in which more than 80% of the skin lacks normal pigment.
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.
This skin condition can be caused by any reason the exact cause for the malfunctioning of the melanocytes is still under study. But it is suspected that the skin condition Vitiligo can be caused due to immune system disorder, genetics or hereditary or a trigger.
● 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 greying/whitening of the hair on your head eyelashes, beard or eyebrows.
● Loss of colour in the mucous membranes such as the inside skin of your mouth, lips and nose.
Vitiligo can start at any age but is usually visible after the age of 20.
It is better to consult a dermatologist and start treatment early as the disease is highly unpredictable.
For some, it may halt the progression within 6 months & for others, it may keep on worsening for years together to involve the whole of the body.
Using sunscreen lotions will help to protect your skin, and applying cosmetics can cover up the unattracted blotches. These ways can only cover up the patches but to get rid of this condition you have to consult an expert and get the best vitiligo treatment.
At Dr.Madhu's Skin and Hair Clinic, we have various types of therapies available to treat vitiligo. All with the aim of making the affected skin tone more similar to your natural skin tone.
Not every treatment is right for everyone, it may vary from patient to patient, depending on the age, type and so on, but the goal of all the treatments are the same, getting the normal skin colour back.
Our range of treatments for vitiligo includes topical medicines, systemic treatment, light therapy(phototherapy), and surgery. By treating earlier we can arrest the progression of the disease and will be able to regain the normal skin colour. Consult our experts earlier at Dr.Madhu’s skin and hair clinic and yield better results in this regard.