Vitiligo is a long-term skin problem that causes
white patches on the patient’s skin. To be more specific, these patches are
depigmentation patches that enlarge and spread on the skin. This skin condition
occurs when an individual has diagnosed to have no melanocytes. Melanocytes are
skin cells, which produce a chemical, melanin, and help protect the skin from
Ultraviolet rays of the sun. Since these cells cease to produce skin
pigmentation, white patches have been formed.
It is impossible to predict as to what percent of
the body will be affected by Vitiligo. Unfortunately, the areas affected by the
disease remain affected for the rest of the individual’s life.
Causes of Vitiligo:
Doctors and medical researchers believe that a
sure shot cause for Vitiligo has not known yet. However, every doctor has his
own theory. All theories at one point or the other lead to the fact that
Vitiligo is an auto-immune disease, where an individual’s body responds against
the functioning of the body’s own tissues and organs. Other causes of the
disease are as follows:
·
Genetic Oxidative Stress Imbalance
·
Critical sunburn or cut
·
Exposure to harmful chemicals
·
Destruction of Melanocytes
Most causes lack scientific evidences and
therefore they have not been accepted as guaranteed causes for Vitiligo. One
more important thing that has to be noticed here that Vitiligo has not
transmittable and has not spread from person to person.
Types of Vitiligo:
For the better understanding of the layman,
Vitiligo has broadly divided into two types, namely Segmental and Non-Segmental
Vitiligo.
1. Non-Segmental Vitiligo
This is the most common type out of the two and
Non-Segmental Vitilego has affected 90% individuals. Under this type, the white
patches generally appear on those parts of the skin, which are regularly
exposed, to sunlight. The Non-Segmental Vitiligo affected areas include arms,
eyes, and knees, back of the hands, head, feet, mouth, neck, and elbows.
Non-Segmental Vitiligo has further divided into
five subcategories. They are as follows:
·
Generalized Vitiligo: No familiar pattern, shapes or size of white
patches
·
Acrofacial Vitiligo: White patches occur only on fingers and toes.
·
Mucosal Vitiligo: White patches occur around the mucosal membranes
·
Universal Vitiligo: White patches appear all over the body, this
type is very rare
·
Focal Vitiligo: Dispersed white patches occur in small areas only,
a common type in children.
2. Segmental Vitiligo
Unlike the Non-Segmental type, Segmental Vitiligo
has a different appearance altogether. This type is rare and only seen among
10% of the individuals. Moreover, Segmental Vitiligo responds well to treatment
is much stable as compared to the other type. The areas affected by this type
of Vitiligo include dorsal roots of the spine.
Symptoms of Vitiligo:
Common
symptoms observed in those affected include headaches, dizziness, pain, rash,
and loss of hair. At first, the patches are pale and continue to lose color
until white. The first areas to form patches are ones that remain exposed to
sunlight almost every day.
It is also important to know that white patches
formed, as Vitiligo is irregular in shapes. Sometimes they may also have red
edges, which may lead to itchiness.
Treatment for Vitiligo:
Vitilego cannot be cured completely. However, some
remedies can be used to decrease the visibility of white spots on the
skin.
Remedy 1: Phototherapy with UVB Light
This
remedy involves the use of UVB lamps. The individual is required to keep
exposed affected areas under the lamp daily. This is the simplest remedy of all
since and it can be done easily at home. For large areas, the individual may
have the need to go to a hospital where bigger UVB light sources are used.
Remedy 2: Skin Camouflage
Under this method, individuals can use cosmetic
creams to merge the patches with the skin color. For this it is required that
patients choose the right color tones that match with the skin.
Other scientific remedies include Depigmentation,
Tropic Corticosteroids, and Skin Grafts.
Vitiligo does not develop into any other health
conditions or diseases and therefore does not cause much harm to the affected
persons.
