Vitiligo

Overview

Vitiligo is a skin disorder in which smooth white areas appear on an individual’s skin due to a lack of melanin. It generally starts appearing on the forearms, hands, face and feet. It is considered that vitiligo usually develops prior to the age of 40 and in many cases it develops before the age of 20. Vitiligo is associated with genetic components and individuals with a family history are vulnerable to catching vitiligo. Coming in contact with certain harmful chemicals can also cause Vitiligo. Protection from the sun, regular health checkups and stress management.

What is Vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes loss of skin colour in patches. These discoloured spots eventually get bigger in size as time passes. This happens when melanocytes-skin cells that make pigment- are attacked and destroyed, causing the skin to turn a milky-white colour.

Types of Vitiligo

An individual must know what type of vitiligo he/ she falls under. There are various types of vitiligo, but the most common type is generalized vitiligo, and studies suggest many people have generalized vitiligo. While it can become a part of your health at any stage knowing what type of vitiligo has caught you up is essential. Types of vitiligo include,

Generalized Vitiligo: This is the common type of vitiligo and it is associated with depigmented patches which appear on both sides of the body in a symmetrical pattern. If a patch has appeared on one side of the body, the same kind of patch may appear on the other side as well. Patches usually occur on the areas or parts of the body which are exposed to the sun like the face, hands, wrists, knees and openings like eyes and mouth. In generalized vitiligo, it usually takes time to progress as the patches enlarge in shape and size, slowly and gradually or new patches might develop over time as well.

Segmental Vitiligo: This type of vitiligo is associated with depigmented patches which usually occur on one side of the body and generally don’t spread on the other/corresponding side of the body. Segmental vitiligo might begin at an early age and the progression of the vitiligo gets stable after a certain period. This type of vitiligo is less common than rare and it can cause other potential problems related to neural factors with it.

The determination of the types is necessary for doctors to prescribe suitable medications to the individuals. The customization of the treatments is the right approach and the identification of triggers will be the best information for the individuals so that they can stay away from irritants or any other potential complications. The severity of vitiligo must be kept under immediate consideration to provide effective treatment for the betterment of an individual.

Symptoms of Vitiligo

The skin disease vitiligo is considered as the development of white patches due to the loss of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. Some common symptoms and signs of vitiligo include,

• White patches on the skin
• Loss of colour in hair and eyes
• Symmetrical distribution of patches on both sides of the body
• Premature greying or whitening of hair
• Sunlight sensitivity
• Rapid spread

Every person might experience the same symptoms and the stages of progression may vary from person to person. Since the symptoms take time for every individual to appear, many people can start noticing these symptoms at the earliest stages and most of them aren’t even aware of any of this.

How would you know that you caught Vitiligo?

Vitiligo is often noticed by the white patches and or depigmented area/patches on the skin. The size of the patches might be different and may vary from one another. An individual would notice that the white patches are equally distributed on the entire body and not on one side. Vitiligo might spread gradually with existing patches developing and enlarging in shape and size. Vitiligo can lead to discolouration of hair and eyes. It can affect the hair of the scalp and lashes grey. An individual is adversely affected by the sunlight and gets sensitive to it. Infected individuals are vulnerable to sunburns in the depigmented areas.

Causes of Vitiligo

Since the exact cause of vitiligo is yet not deciphered. Vitiligo is considered to happen when the pigment-producing cells die (melanocytes), and stop producing melanin. Melanin is a pigment which helps in providing colour to skin, hair and eyes. The development of this skin condition is influenced by various factors and genetics and environmental factors play a major role in the scenario. Key causes include:

Autoimmune factors: It is considered that our immune system starts destroying pigment-producing cells (melanocytes). Some autoimmune diseases include psoriasis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes.

Family history: Individuals with a family history of vitiligo are vulnerable to catching the skin disease.

Contact with a chemical: Certain environmental factors may cause trigger vitiligo in the individuals. These triggers can be stress, sunburn or other traumatic events.

These factors are the bridging gap and can influence the skin condition vitiligo to interfere with our day-to-day tasks. Early intervention and detection would help in curing this aggressive vitiligo at the early stage.

Tests and Treatments of Vitiligo

To understand what your body is trying to tell you, doctors will run certain tests to diagnose what the actual problem is. Your current symptoms will make an easy way for a dermatologist to identify the problem. The following are the possible outcomes of diagnosis of vitiligo,

Physical examination: Dermatologists will perform a physical examination to identify the patches of vitiligo. This examination will include a detailed discussion of family medical history and the onset of symptoms.

Lamp examination: A wood lamp experiment may be used to examine the affected area. This lamp emits UV rays as the vitiligo patches appear clearly on the vitiligo-affected area.

Skin biopsy: A small sample of the skin is taken to analyse the absence of pigment-producing cells melanocytes. The skin sample is further sent for microscopic examination for testing.

Blood tests: Doctors may suggest blood tests to check any potential autoimmune conditions associated with vitiligo.

It’s important to focus that early detection is really essential for the immediate treatment of vitiligo. Vitiligo can be healed over time with appropriate treatment, recommended therapies and preventive measures. While you can never eliminate the risk of acquiring vitiligo it can be treated and can be kept under control.

Risk Factors
There are many risk factors which can influence the development of vitiligo. Risk factors include:

Environmental factors: Regular exposure to triggers such as trauma or stress can trigger vitiligo and might make it worse.

Genetics: Genes play an important role, even if a close relative has it, vitiligo is most likely to pass on through genetics.

Autoimmune disorder: Individuals with autoimmune disorders including diseases like psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis can increase the chances of developing this chronic skin condition vitiligo.

Sunburn and skin problems: Severe injuries or sunburn may increase the risk of vitiligo.

Neurological factors: Factors such as trauma or stress make an individual’s body more vulnerable to catching vitiligo.

It’s essential to be aware of these risk factors to take timely preventive measures such as having regular skin checks ups and keeping up with sun safety.

Treatment of Vitiligo
The treatment of vitiligo ultimately depends on how the condition is affecting the body of an individual. Here are the following treatment options for the individual:

• Ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy
• Narrowband ultraviolet B light therapy
• Topical creams
• Oral medications
• Depigmentation
• Excimer laser treatment

Treatment also includes surgical methods. Here are the following surgical options:

• Skin grafting
• Micropigmentation
• Melanocyte transplants

Vitiligo’s treatment is considered to start with the therapies but its alternatives involve treatment with medicine and surgery options. These treatment options include the optimum stage of an individual affected with vitiligo. Regular check-ups are essential to track the signs of recurrence if there are any and it’s essential for an individual to take a safe path of immediate intervention to prevent potential side-effects and the risk of vitiligo.

Prevention for Vitiligo

The risk of getting affected by vitiligo is higher if you have a family medical history but preventive measures are always recommended to save an individual from early influence and interference of vitiligo in their life. Preventive measures include:

Healthy diet: By maintaining a well-maintained diet may support overall skin health. Including fruits, vegetables and foods rich in vitamins and minerals can help in increasing overall health.

Sun protection: Sunburn or sun exposure can trigger or worsen vitiligo, it is advised and recommended to use sunscreen to prevent any skin damage.

Stress management: Stress management and vitiligo are associated with extreme relationships and managing stress through yoga, and meditation can help in controlling vitiligo.

Regular health checkups: Individuals with a family history of vitiligo must take health checkups as an immediate approach. Since health check-ups are necessary for early intervention of the potential disease.

These possible preventive measures can help in reducing the impact of this chronic disease vitiligo. Early intervention and detection are preferable for a successful treatment.