The Vitiligo Skin Condition Explained In Plain English

Vitiligo

White patches on the skin, premature graying of the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, and beard, and sometimes a loss of color inside the mouththese are some of the distinct signs of vitiligo. Some people might mistake it as a disease brought about by too much sun exposure. While signs of this disease commonly appear in the sun-exposed areas of the body, the cause of vitiligo is generally unknown. Doctors and researchers have formulated several theories....

One would be that people develop antibodies (produced by the immune system, these are protective proteins which fight infectious agents including bacteria and viruses) which destroy melanocytes (special skin cells that produce melanin) in their own bodies; two, that melanocytes destroy themselves; and three, that a particular event, such as sunburn or emotional distress, triggers these distressall of which have no scientific backing yet. Another theory says that is hereditary, making children whose parents are affected, prone to the disorder.

Vitiligo affects 40 to 50 million of the worlds population, including all races males and females. Majority of the people affected by vitiligo usually develop it before turning 40. Given the shady causes of vitiligo, doctors make it a point to find out about important factors in an affected persons medical historyfamily history, a rash or a skin trauma two to three months before depigmentation began, stress, physical illness, and / or premature graying of the scalp. While a scientific breakthrough is yet to be done determining the cause of vitiligo, several preventive measures have been developed over the years.

Treatment

Treating vitiligo would always prove to be risky. The side effects of treatments are as unpredictable the disorders cause. That is why vitiligo treatment should always be done with utmost care and patience.

A persons own tissues mat be used for surgical treatment through autologous skin grafts. The doctor removes portions of the pigmented skin and then replaces the affected skin with it. Possible complications for this treatment include infections, scarring, a cobblestone appearance, or a spotty repigmentation. The greatest risk would be the skins failure to repigment at all.

Another surgical treatment using the pigmented skin is skin grafts using blisters. The patients pigmented skin is exposed to heat, which then causes blisters. These blisters are cut off and then transplanted to the depigmented area.

Another simpler option is tattooing or micropigmentation. This is usually done on patients with dark skin. Tattoos, however, tend to fade in time and may even lead to blister outbreaks.

Lastly, vitiligo can be cured surgically through autologous melanocyte transplants. Multiplying a patients pigmented skin through a special cell culture solution that grows melanocytes does this. The reproduced skin then is transplanted over the depigmented areas.