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Treatment of vitiligo

Treatment of vitiligo

Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a skin disease that leads to loss of skin pigmentation, showing uneven white spots spread throughout the body. These spots result in melanocytes dying or stopping their function. These cells determine the color of the hair, skin, and eyes. Vitiligo may affect the mucous membranes inside the mouth and nose, but the skin is normal in its other properties. Vitiligo may affect all skin types of different ages, races and races, but it may appear more pronounced in darker skin. It is worth mentioning that vitiligo is not contagious or dangerous, but it reduces the confidence of the injured themselves. People may suffer from depression. Vitiligo is associated with most cases of infection throughout life, so it is important to know how to treat it.

Depending on the type of vitiligo covering the white spots on the body as follows:

  • Most parts of the body, the most common type, is called diffuse vitiligo, and spots appear symmetrically in this type.
  • One body, called pimple vitiligo, occurs in younger patients, develops for two years and then stops.
  • Limited areas of the body, called local or macular degeneration.
It may be difficult to predict how vitiligo develops. In most cases, vitiligo spreads to all parts of the body. Sometimes the appearance of the spots stops untreated, and the skin rarely returns to its natural color.

Causes of vitiligo

Is still the main cause of vitiligo is unknown, but researchers believe that some factors may contribute to the infection of vitiligo, including:

  • In the immune system, the immune system fights pigmented cells, where the human body deals with pigmented cells as an enemy and destroys them.
  • Genetic causes.
  • The risk of vitiligo increases in people with autoimmune diseases, such as hyperthyroidism.
  • Sunburn, exposure to industrial chemicals, or stress.

Symptoms of vitiligo

Symptoms often appear before the age of 20, and loss of skin color and the appearance of light spots or white is the main sign of vitiligo, and these spots appear at the beginning of the disease on areas exposed to the sun, such as: hands, arms, feet, face, lips, On the injured, including:

  • Early gray hair appears in hair, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard (usually before the age of 35).
  • Loss of mucous membranes lining the mouth and nose.
  • Change or loss of retinal color.
  • Light spots appear around the armpits, navel, and genitals.

Complications of vitiligo

Vitiligo increases the risk of exposure to all of the following:

  • Psychological stress and social withdrawal.
  • Sunburn and skin cancer.
  • Eye problems, such as: iritis.
  • hearing loss.
  • Side effects of treatment, such as dry skin and itching.

Things you would like to do before you go to a specialist

The patient can collect some information that helps him prepare for his appointment with the doctor:

  • Review the medical history of the family, such as a family member with vitiligo, or an autoimmune disease such as hyperthyroidism.
  • Identify events in which the patient is exposed to recent stress, sunburn, or rashes.
  • Review medications, vitamins and supplements that the patient is taking.
The patient must limit his exposure to the sun and use sunscreen (at least 30 SPF).

Questions may be asked by the specialist doctor of vitiligo patient

One of the questions that a vitiligo patient may have:

  • When did the patient begin to notice the white spots on his skin?
  • Is the patient exposed to sunburn or rash prior to spotting?
  • Is the patient allergic to the sun?
  • Does it cause itchy or any other symptoms?
  • Have the patient been exposed to these spots before?
  • Has a family member been infected with Vitiligo or an autoimmune disease?
  • What is the patient’s function, and is he exposed to any chemicals?

Diagnostic tests

The doctor may perform a series of tests to rule out the presence of other skin diseases, such as dermatitis or psoriasis, and the doctor may use a special lamp to expose UV rays to the skin to check for vitiligo, or a small sample may be taken from the infected skin,
Blood samples may be withdrawn for laboratory tests, and sometimes eyes may be examined to check for erythema or hearing screening because vitiligo patients are at increased risk of hearing loss.

Medical treatment for Vitiligo

Many treatments are available that may help to restore the skin color or skin tone. Vitiligo treatment depends on the number of white spots, the extent of their spread, and the treatment preferred by the patient. Treatment results vary from patient to patient. These results can not be expected. Some treatments have serious side effects. It may take several months for the results to appear. Some of these treatments may fail to treat vitiligo.

pharmaceutical

No medication can stop the process of loss of pigment cells, but some medications can be used alone or with phototherapy to improve the appearance of the skin of the injured.

  • Topical corticosteroids: This treatment may help restore skin color, especially when used early in the disease. This treatment is effective and easy to use, but it may take several months for the emergence of the results, and its side effects: thinning the skin, or the appearance of lines on the skin of the patient, you should see your doctor to reduce these effects.
  • Topical Calcipotrine Cream: A form of vitamin D, which can be used with corticosteroids or UV rays, and its side effects: dry skin, rashes, itching.
  • Ointments containing tacrolymax or pimicrolimase: These ointments affect the immune system and may be effective for people with small pigmentation areas, especially on the face and neck. The side effects of this treatment are less than the side effects of cortisone and can be used with UVB, has warned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the possibility of a link between these drugs and cancer of the lymph nodes and skin cancer.
  • Photovoltaic therapy with the use of surrealin (PUVA): This treatment combines psoralen and phototherapy, and is used to restore color to light spots. After taking Oral Suralin or placing it on the affected skin, the patient is exposed to radiation UV A or B, and because the medicine makes the skin more sensitive to light, the skin turns to pink, and when the skin heals the natural skin color appears. The patient may need to repeat the treatment three times a week for 6-12 months. Possible side effects of this treatment include: sunburn, ulcers, itching, natural skin color, increased risk of cataract, and skin cancer. It is best to use sunscreen for one or two days after receiving treatment, wear UV protective sunglasses, and avoid direct sunlight. It is not recommended for children under the age of 12.
  • B-band UVB: The patient receives treatment at the specialist clinic three times a week. Unlike PUVA, this treatment does not require the use of suraline. Effective treatment results appear on the face, trunk and limbs.
  • Laser treatment: This treatment returns color to light spots using excimer laser, which uses a certain wavelength of UV radiation, and can be used on small areas. It is often used with topical medications. Its side effects are red with ulcers In the skin.
  • Colorectal Removal (remove the rest of the skin’s normal color): This treatment is used if vitiligo spreads throughout the body, or if other treatments do not work. Monobenzone is applied to areas not affected by the skin. It gradually removes the color of the skin so that the skin color is similar to the areas that change color. This treatment is used twice a day for nine months or more and skin contact with other people should be avoided. At least two hours after receiving treatment, in order to avoid the transfer of medication to them. Side effects include redness, swelling, itching, dry skin, and permanent color removal, and the patient becomes sensitive to sunlight.

Surgery

The primary purpose of the surgery is to equalize and restore the color of the skin. Surgery is an appropriate treatment if treatment with drugs or radiation is not successful. Surgery can be performed in conjunction with previous treatments.

  • Skin grafts: Small parts of healthy skin are removed and transferred to the affected skin. This surgery is used for small spots of vitiligo. The risk of this surgery includes exposure to infections, infection, and scars. : cobblestone appearance), or may appear cut in skin color, or this treatment may fail.
  • Blister grafting: Blisters are formed in the patient’s healthy skin. The pigmented cells are removed by suction and transferred to the affected part. Side effects of this surgery include: Scars (less than grafting) Skin), the skin may become like cobblestone appearance, or treatment may fail.
  • Tattoos: In this technique, the doctor uses a special surgical instrument to implant dye in the affected skin. Tattoos are effective around the lips, especially in the dark skin, including the risk of tattoos: difficulty in matching the color of the skin, Skin due to tattoos to the appearance of other spots of vitiligo.

Alternative Medicine

Check with your doctor before using alternative medicine to make sure you do not interact with medical treatments for vitiligo.

  • A study showed that the use of boiled broccoli daily in addition to the use of vitiligo medicines prescribed by the doctor may help in the treatment of vitiligo.
  • Another study has shown that ginkgo biloba may restore skin color in people with slow-spreading vitiligo.