How To Treat And Manage Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a skin disease characterized by the patchy loss of pigment. These white patches may appear just about anywhere, but they may be more likely to appear on areas of the body that have been sunburned or exposed to sunlight for many years. The face, hands, and arms are common areas for vitiligo to strike. However, the disease can also occur on body parts typically never exposed to the sun, such as the genital area. Vitiligo is not painful or contagious. It's thought to probably be an autoimmune disease, which is one in which the body attacks its tissues. In the case of vitiligo, this attack would be directed at the melanocytes, which are specialized skin cells that produce melanin, which colors the skin, hair, and eyes.
Learn about how to treat and manage vitiligo now.
Anti-Inflammatory Creams
Anti-inflammatory creams are corticosteroidal topical preparations used to help restore normal color to patches of vitiligo. These medications range in strength from mild to very strong. Generally, the more potent corticosteroid creams are used for vitiligo. When steroid creams are applied to large areas of the skin, they can have negative systemic effects, and because of this, the use of anti-inflammatory creams may be limited to small areas of vitiligo only.
Sometimes steroid creams are combined with other medications to enhance results. In addition to possible systemic side effects, steroid creams can cause the skin to become very thin and dry. Vitiligo patches on the hands and feet may not respond as well to this treatment as other body areas. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, about half of patients with vitiligo who try steroid creams will see at least a partial restoration of normal skin color after four to six months of treatment.
Uncover the next option for treating and managing vitiligo now.
Medications
Vitiligo cannot be cured, though some oral medications can produce marked repigmentation of white patches in some vitiligo patients. One of them is called afamelanotide, which is a type of hormone that stimulates melanocytes to produce more pigment. It's usually combined with light therapy, also called phototherapy. Abatacept is a biological protein-based substance and is often used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. However, there is a clinical trial underway to see if it may also improve symptoms of vitiligo. Tofacitinib is a similar type of medication also used for rheumatoid arthritis. When combined with UVB phototherapy, tofacitinib has shown great promise as an effective vitiligo treatment. Vitamins B-12 and folic acid may be useful in helping to re-pigment white patches when combined with sunlight. Another medication called psoralen, a plant derivative, is combined with phototherapy to help restore normal skin pigment. It can take up to one year to see results.
Learn about the next method of treating vitiligo effectively now.
