Vitiligo is a skin condition in which the skin gets white spots of different sizes and shapes. The white marks are caused by the loss of melanin, a skin substance that keeps us safe from the sun. It is thought that about 1% of the population, both men and women, have it. It's not an infectious disease and can't be passed on by touching someone. It happens more often in sunny places, like northern Africa, and has been called "illness of light."
Even though from a medical perspective, vitiligo isn't usually dangerous and doesn't cause physical pain, it has a big impact on how the patient thinks and feels. However, treatment might not be needed if the vitiligo is small or doesn't bother the patient. Read further to learn about the symptoms of vitiligo, causes of vitiligo, and treatments of the same.
Symptoms Of Vitiligo
The white spots or patches on the skin are the most obvious sign of vitiligo. Depending on the condition's bad, depigmentation can make parts of the body look completely white, completely lighter than the rest of the body, pink, red, or brown. Vitiligo is an issue with the skin that can happen anywhere on the body. It usually appears in the genital area, on the face, neck, hands, arms, knees, and feet.
Because the cells that make the skin lose colour are also in the inner ear and eye, vitiligo can also affect a person's ability to see and hear. Vitiligo causes physical symptoms, but many people also experience social isolation, depression, and anxiety because of how embarrassed they feel about having vitiligo or how other people treat them.
Causes Of Vitiligo
Vitiligo happens when the cells that give skin its colour, called melanocytes, die. Most scientists think vitiligo is an autoimmune disease, which means the body's immune system is weak and it attacks its tissues. In vitiligo, melanocytes are attacked and killed by the body. Most scientists agree that vitiligo is caused by genetic and environmental factors.
1. Genetics
Around one out of five people with vitiligo have a close family member with the same condition, but it is unclear how the condition is passed down from parents. Researchers have found more than 30 genes that make people more likely to get vitiligo.
2. Environmental Factors
Vitiligo can happen when a person with a genetic risk for vitiligo goes through an outside event that causes vitiligo. Sunburn, chemical exposure, emotional stress, or damage to the skin, like too much rubbing or scratching, can all cause eczema.
Types Of Vitiligo
1. Segmental Vitiligo
It happens less often and stands out more in younger age groups. This kind of vitiligo is not the same on both sides. Non-segmental vitiligo affects 90% of people with it. It looks the same on both sides and is more common in areas with a lot of suns.
2. Non-Segmental Vitiligo
Even though topical treatments may not work for non-segmental vitiligo, they do work well for segmental vitiligo, which is more stable and less likely to change.
Diagnosis Of Vitiligo
Diagnosis Of Vitiligo
A dermatologist is the only person who can tell if someone has vitiligo. After writing down the patient's family history, the doctor performs a clinical exam and uses Wood light. The discolouration points are photographed along with differential diagnosis and psychological tests, and the degree of discolouration is figured out. At the same time, blood tests are done in the lab, including microbiological, biochemical, and immunobiological tests. If needed, a biopsy sample is also taken. Even though most people with vitiligo are generally healthy, they are more likely to get certain conditions or have them simultaneously than the rest of the population.
Treatments Of Vitiligo
1. Chemotherapy
These treatments of vitiligo use light in the UVA range and a drug called psoralen, making the skin more sensitive to light. The patient takes this drug in the form of a cream or pill. The goal of the treatment for vitiligo on the face or lower limbs is to get the skin colour back to 75% of what it was before. The treatment does not work very well on the hands or feet. Treatments can last up to six months, and because psoralen can hurt your eyes, you need to see a dermatologist and an ophthalmologist regularly.
2. Topical Treatments
Some of the medicines used in this treatment have strong doses of corticosteroids. After 5 or 6 months of use, most people should see some lightening of the marks, according to estimates. Corticosteroids are sometimes mixed with other things to get better results. The formulations used in topical treatments work better for facial vaginas. They should only be used after a careful look at each case because they can have side effects.
3. Laser Excimer Laser Therapy
This therapy uses light with a certain wavelength to change the skin's colour. About 70% of people who have tried this treatment, which can be used with topical treatments, have seen improvement. But many people get sick again a few years after treatment, so it is not permanent. Phototherapy works better on the face than on the hands and feet.
4. Surgery
It is a treatment recommended for people whose vitiligo has been under control for at least six months. It is also the treatment of choice when all other treatments have failed. Patients with scars or keloids on their skin should not use this product. Children with vitiligo should also not use it. Depending on the situation, surgery can be successful for up to 90% of patients.
5. Discolouration Of The Skin With Hydroquinone Monobenzyl Ether
It is usually used on people whose skin is only healthy in a few places and has discolouration on certain body parts. The skin is completely white when the last bit of colour is gone. The treatment is done with cream on the skin that can last for years.
Final Words
Vitiligo is a disease that can happen to anyone, and it is said that there is no cure for it, and it lasts a person's whole life. Genes cause most cases of vitiligo, and the exact cause of the disease is unknown. It could be an autoimmune disorder or a virus, but there are ways to treat it. Vitiligo, which looks like small white spots on the skin, is easy to spot when the body loses its colour.
