Vitiligo: Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment

Contents

In this article, we will take a look at:

• What is Vitiligo?
• How does Vitiligo occur?
• Who is prone to Vitiligo?
• Symptoms of Vitiligo
• Diagnosis of Vitiligo
• Complications of Vitiligo
• Treatment for Vitiligo

To know the further details about each of these you may click on the above headings.

What is vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a state in which a person is found to develop white patches in various parts of his body. The problem may start in any part of the body skin and gradually spreads in different other portions of the body. This rate and extent of the loss of skin colour during this disease are completely unpredictable. It has been found that apart from the exposed skin area of the body, it can also affect the scalp and the inside portion of the mouth.

How does vitiligo occur?

The disease called vitiligo tends to develop on someone's skin when the cells that are responsible for generating melanin start dying or stop functioning. It is melanin that helps in determining the colour of the hair or skin. Vitiligo is found to affect people having darker skin or complexion. They tend to develop in the symmetrical portions of the body and then can extend over the rest of the body.

Who is prone to vitiligo?

Either of the sex has an equal probability of developing this particular form of the dermatological disease. It has been found that this condition has a higher probability of developing in your body in the early ages, especially between 10 to 30 years of age and has not shown up if someone has crossed the age of 40 years. Family heredity plays an important role in the development of such a condition. People with someone in the family who has vitiligo or suffers from premature grey hair have a higher chance of being affected by the same. Apart from these those with Type I Diabetes or Hashimoto's Thyroiditis are more prone to vitiligo.

What are the symptoms of Vitiligo? How is Vitiligo diagnosed?

Symptoms

The condition starts with rapid loss of pigmentation in certain parts of the body followed by the showing up of white patches in those affected areas of the skin. In due course, the blotches may remain the same in size or may start turning bigger with multiple cycles of pigmentation loss and stability. Once the white patches start developing, there is little chance of getting back the pigmentation once again. The most affected body parts are found to be:

• Armpits.
• Previously injured skin areas.
• Skin areas exposed to the sun.
• Areas surrounding the moles and body openings.
• Eyelids.
• Hair.

Diagnosis

A dermatologist usually commences his diagnosis by first investigating the affected areas on your skin. Till date, there is no clinically proven method to prevent or get rid of this form of skin condition. Few details about personal and family medical history help your doctor to rule out other possibilities like psoriasis or dermatitis. This is then followed by:

• Collection of a small sample of the affected skin.
• Drawing of blood samples to investigate autoimmune standards like diabetes or anaemia.

What are the complications of vitiligo?

The state of Vitiligo can further complicate your well-being if a proper application of strong sunscreen is not met while getting exposed to direct sunlight. In due course, vitiligo may adversely affect your eyes (iritis) and hearing capability (hyperacusis). Since the exposed areas of the skin get usually affected by the loss of pigmentation, it stimulates a feeling of low self-esteem and confidence within the affected individual.

What is the treatment for vitiligo?

With the aid of modern cosmetic technologies and application of corticosteroid creams, the appearance of the skin can be improved. In many countries, doctors employ on re-pigmenting techniques called UV light therapy to revive the normal skin colour in the white patched areas. Some doctors opt for skin grafting technology to lighten the skin colour so that further spread of the disease can be stopped.