Vitiligo is a disease that lightens the color your skin, hair, eyes, mucous
membranes (of the mouth, lips, nostrils, rectum, and genitals), as well as other
areas.
It's usually not a painful or dangerous condition, but it may be related to
other underlying diseases or, rarely, have complications of its own.
Can Vitiligo Be Cured?
There is no cure for vitiligo, unless it is caused by other underlying
disease that can be cured.
However, it can be managed using different methods to return pigment to the
skin and lessen coloration differences.
Treatments for Vitiligo
Your treatment may be related to an underlying condition or it may be
cosmetic.
Cosmetic methods range from using makeup to applying prescription creams to
laser and light therapy.
The best treatment for you will depend on where the vitiligo appears, your
health and age, and the amount of time and money you can invest (health
insurance may not cover cosmetic treatments).
If you chose medical treatment, the sooner you act after a patch of vitiligo
appears, the greater your chance of success in the short and long run.
Cosmetic Makeup for Vitiligo
Covering white patches with makeup is safe and relatively inexpensive.
You can use a full-coverage foundation or self-tanner makeup to achieve the
look you desire. Using makeup is generally safe and gentle enough for children,
although it has to be applied daily.
Topical Corticosteroid for Vitiligo
The most commonly prescribed medication for vitiligo is daily application of
a strong topical corticosteroid.
About half of patients regain some skin color in four to six months.
Corticosteroids work best for:
- People who are recently diagnosed
- People who have darker skin tones
- Facial discoloration (topical corticosteroids, like most treatments, are less
- effective on the hands and feet)
Side effects of topical corticosteroid include:
Skin atrophying with prolonged use (usually more than a year). Skin may
become thin, fragile, and dry
Streaks or lines (called striae) that may appear on your skin
Light Treatment (Phototherapy) for Vitiligo
Phototherapy treatments are usually given in doctor's offices, clinics, and
hospitals. Light treatments are often combined with other medicines, such as
topical treatments.
Narrowband UVB Light Therapy (NB-UVB) for Vitiligo: UVB phototherapy (NB-UVB)
has been increasingly used for vitiligo, becoming the standard of care in many
places. The treatment uses a 311 nanometer (nm) wavelength.
Compared with the older UVA treatment, it uses smaller doses of ultraviolet
radiation, causes less burning and redness, and is more likely to be
effective.
The therapy is applied to your whole body or, using handheld instruments, it
targets specific patches of vitiligo.
Whole-body therapy may be less time-consuming than targeted treatments. On
the other hand, it is important to minimize exposure to the radiation.
You'll need NB-UVB treatments two to three times a week, totaling 48
treatments or more.
Excimer Laser Phototherapy for Vitiligo: The laser treatment known as
"excimer" is a newer type of phototherapy.
It emits a type of light (monochromatic) that is similar to UVB, but it is
more targeted, using smaller, 308 nm wavelengths.
Treatments are usually given two to three times a week for up to six
months.
Psoralen Plus UVA Light Therapy (PUVA) for Vitiligo: This therapy combines
psoralen, a medication that increases your sensitivity to light, with UVA light
treatment.
Psoralen comes in forms that can be taken by mouth or applied to the skin.
Treatments are given once a week for up to a year.
Effectiveness of Light Treatments for Vitiligo
The standard for successful treatment of a vitiligo patch is 75 percent
darkening, or "re-pigmentation."
Research has found that all of the phototherapy treatments are capable of
re-pigmenting patches at 75 percent. Those patches are mainly on the face,
trunk, upper arms, and upper legs.
But the treatments have little effect on the hands and feet, and the
proportion of patches overall that achieve 75 percent re-pigmentation is very
different in each study and for each patient, according to a 2009 review of
research in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
These variations might be because of differences in the proportion of patches
on people's hands and feet, or because of differences in facial skin types in
study patients.
The Downside of Phototherapy Treatments for Vitiligo
It's time-consuming and expensive to commit to these treatments. And,
unfortunately, results are likely to be temporary.
According to the 2009 review, in a number of small studies (including 25 or
fewer people), one-quarter to half of people who had successful NB-UVB
treatments relapsed within a year or two.
In the only study that lasted 4 years, 86 percent relapsed.
Other downsides of light therapy are:
Targeted therapy may not prevent new patches from developing
All of these therapies are capable of creating burns and aging skin
It's suspected that light therapies increase the risk of skin cancer
In the PUVA treatment, psoralen increases light sensitivity, so you may
experience severe sunburn, blistering, and itching, or develop cataracts
If medications and light therapy haven't worked, surgery may be an option.
Surgery works best for:
- Adults whose vitiligo has been stable six months or longer
- Those who do not scar easily
Surgical procedures for vitiligo include:
Skin grafting: Small sections of your normal, pigmented skin are removed and
attached (grafted) to lighter areas. Side effects may include scarring, a
cobblestone appearance, spotty color, and infection. Skin grafting is most
effective on smaller patches of skin.
Blister grafting: Blisters are created on your normal skin, usually with
suction. The tops of the blisters are removed and grafted to the lighter skin.
Possible risks include a cobblestone appearance and failure of the area to
recolor. There is less risk of scarring with this type of grafting.
Tattooing: Your doctor adds pigment by tattooing small areas. This is most
effective in people with darker skin and around the lips. Risks include
difficulty matching skin color, tattoo fading, and triggering a new patch of
vitiligo.
Those treatment is common used treatment for vitiligo in your countrys,but
those treatment is not cure your vitiligo ,even nothing effective. In china we
use chinese medicine Treatment for vitiligo ,no side effect.Learn more Chinese Medicine Treatment for vitiligo
