You may call it leucoderma, white patch or white ghost; VITILIGO occurs due to the deficiency of melanocytes, a pigment-producing cell in the skin.
The more dark skinned a person is, the more are their chances of having vitiligo. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to vitiligo. A lot of patients point out their vitiligo to be the result of physical trauma, emotional stress or illness. Even severe sunburn reaction may increase the expansion of vitiligo.
See more: Everything You Need to Know About Vitiligo
What Are The Potential Signs Of Developing Vitiligo?
Vitiligo starts forming rough pale patches on your skin, which could look very pale or almost white. The skin otherwise feels entirely normal. The most common sites for vitiligo to appear are the hands and face, around body openings (the eyes, nostrils, mouth, umbilicus and genital regions), and within body folds such as the underarms and groin. When it begins to form where the hair-bearing skin is involved, the hair may lose its pigment and appear white.
What Are The Symptoms Of Vitiligo?
Based on the distribution of the lesions, there are 3 types of vitiligo that have been distinguished;
1. Focal-
Patches occur over one or a few areas.
2. Segmental-
Also known as unilateral, this form shows patches which occur on one side of the body only.
3. Generalized-
The patches occur on both sides of the body, also called as veloce vitiligo or rapid vitiligo.
While the colors of the affected parts do change drastically, you won’t see much change in the texture and sensation. However, the sensitivity may increase due to sunlight, which is usually observed because of the absence of melanin. Aside from skin depigmentation, some of the other symptoms of vitiligo include as below:
1. Discoloration in hair, eyelashes or eyebrows. Premature graying of hair is also caused by vitiligo. Patients often develop a white streak on their eyebrows or eyelashes due to the loss of pigment in the hair follicles.
2. White patches inside the mouth. The loss of melanin can be seen in mucous membranes and mouth tissues. Vitiligo patches may develop on the lips as well.
3. Change in eye color. The melanocytes found in the eyes are also affected as Vitiligo strikes. A good percentage of patients lose the pigment in the retinal pigment epithelium.
4. Eye inflammation. In some cases, vitiligo may cause the inflammation of the eyes. Researchers clarify that it is often caused by the immune system attacking the healthy cells in the eyes.
What Is The Treatment Of Vitiligo?
There are many cutting-edge treatment options that can be discussed with our dermatologist. The options of treatment of include topical, photo, surgical therapies, and depigmentation. We recommend a combination approach using Phototherapy and lasers, including Excimer lasers, XTRAC & VTRAC. Skin City’s Cyanoacrylate Lamination technique for skin grafting in Vitiligo is another excellent treatment delivering revolutionary results.
See More: What Are The Best Vitiligo Treatments In India?
Given the positive results observed by our specialists at Skin City, we are a successful clinic in treating vitiligo and thus assure you a dramatic improvement of your life. To undergo a specialized consultation to decide if you are an ideal candidate for these procedures and to set an accurate diagnosis, schedule an appointment with our skin specialist at your nearest clinic.
Now, no more hiding behind that white patch.