Dermatologist Treatment for Vitiligo
Vitiligo results in the loss of your natural skin color. The condition occurs when melanin-producing cells die or malfunction. Vitiligo has no cure but treatment can stop or slow its progression.
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Symptoms
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Symptoms of vitiligo are loss of pigment which produces white patches on skin, premature graying of the hair, loss of color in the retina, and loss of color in the tissues that line the mouth.
Causes
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Vitiligo has no known cause but is linked to an underproduction of melanin. Melanin gives your skin color. Its underproduction may be linked to your immune system or heredity.
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Treatment
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Treatment of vitiligo includes topical and oral medicines and light therapy to help restore your natural color. They include corticosteroids, immunomodulators, PUVA (psoralen and ultraviolet A), and UVB (narrowband ultraviolet B therapy).
Depigmentation
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Depigmentation therapy is used to lighten skin if vitiligo covers over half your body. The treatment is used on unaffected skin to make it match the lighter color of the skin that is affected by vitiligo.
Surgical Treatment
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Surgery is used to take pigmented skin from your body and attach it to areas affected by vitiligo. Some procedures include autologous skin grafting and blister grafting. Tattooing pigment into skin is also used as a treatment.
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