Distress from Vitiligo

Vitiligo causes white patches on your skin. It can also affect your eyes, mouth and nose. It occurs when the cells that give your skin its color are destroyed. No one knows what destroys them. It is more common in people with autoimmune diseases, and it might run in families. It usually starts before age 40.

Vitiligo affects one or two of every 100 people. About half the people who develop it do so before the age of 20; about one - fifth have a family member with this condition. It may be an autoimmune process (the body makes antibodies to its own pigment cells). Most people with vitiligo are in good general health, although vitiligo may occur with other autoimmune diseases such as thyroid disease.

The precise cause of Vitiligo is not known. A combination of genetic, immunologic and neurogenic factors is of major importance in most cases. Many people report pigment loss shortly after a severe sunburn. Others relate the onset of Vitiligo to emotional trauma associated with an accident, death in the family, divorce, etc. Early graying of hair is part of Vitiligo. Patients with Vitiligo appear to have normal pigment cells. An increase in something such as nitric oxide, may be toxic for pigment cells or there may be a lack of growth factors that are required for normal pigment cells to be viable.

Vitiligo often begins with a rapid loss of pigment. This may continue until, for unknown reasons, the process stops. Cycles of pigment loss, followed by times where the pigment doesn't change, may continue indefinitely.

The main sign of vitiligo is pigment loss that produces milky-white patches on your skin. Other less common signs may include:

• Premature whitening or graying of the hair on your scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard
• Loss of color in the tissues that line the inside of your mouth
• Loss or change in color of the inner layer of your eye

Treatment of vitiligo

Sometimes the best treatment for vitiligo is no treatment at all. In fair-skinned individuals, avoiding tanning of normal skin can make areas of vitiligo almost unnoticeable because the (no pigment) white skin, of vitiligo has no natural protection from sun.

• PUVA: Topical, Oral-8-MOP (Indoor only) is indicated only for the more complex cases where repigmentation is necessary and all other therapy has been unsuccessful.
• Anti-Vitiligo is a herbal remedy for re-pigmentation in vitiligo and hypo-pigmentation (due to other reasons). It is a natural treatment for vitiligo.
• Surgical therapies are available for carefully selected patients, especially those with focal or segmental vitiligo.
• Using sunscreen will help protect your skin, and cosmetics can cover up the patches. Treatments for vitiligo include medicines, light therapy and surgery. Not every treatment is right for everyone. Many have side effects. Some take a long time. Some do not always work.
• Immunomodulators: tacrolimus or pimecrolimus used with topical steroids
• Depigmentation: - Monobenzylether of hydroquinone it should be assumed this is permanent and irreversible but some repigmentation can occur following sun exposure.) It takes several years to depigment the face, neck, hands and arms.

There is no known prevention for vitiligo, otherwise there would be no such disease. Considerable research is needed in this field to help find a cure for vitiligo sufferers.