What is vitiligo and is it possible to get rid of it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

White spots are a signal that the skin needs special protection.

What is Vitiligo

This is the name of the Vitiligo disease, in which the skin in some parts of the body loses its pigmentation - it becomes white.

Vitiligo can affect any part of the body, but most often appears on those areas that are more exposed to sunlight than others: on the face, fingers, the outside of the palm, arms, legs, shoulders, neck. This also applies to hair, eyebrows, eyelashes: they turn gray.

According to statistics from Vitiligo and Loss of Skin Color, 2 out of every 100 people worldwide suffer from vitiligo.

"Spotted" loss of pigmentation is not a congenital condition: it most often manifests itself between the ages of 10 and 30 years. Spots can occur in people with all skin types. It is impossible to predict how many of them there will be and at what speed they multiply.

Is vitiligo dangerous

No. This was realized even by the ancient Romans, who gave the disease such a name: the Latin root vitium means only “deficiency”, “flaw”. Modern medicine confirms that this condition is not dangerous to health and is not contagious.

Natalya Kozlova Head of the Dermatovenerological Department of the Clinical and Diagnostic Center "Medintsentr" (branch of the GlavUpDK under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia)

The disease is not transmitted through tactile contact or through personal belongings. It does not cause physical discomfort.

However, vitiligo does have some potential health disadvantages.

1. Psychological discomfort

A person who suffers from vitiligo often experiences self-doubt, feels social rejection, and suffers from low self-esteem.

2. Increased risk of sunburn

Light spots are, in fact, areas of the skin that have lost the melanin pigment. He is responsible not only for color. In fact, this is a tool with which the body protects itself from ultraviolet radiation, which is deadly for it.

Melanin creates a kind of barrier around skin cells that scatters dangerous UVB rays. If there is little or no pigment, the cells become defenseless and can easily mutate under the influence of the sun. Thus, the skin burns faster, and in addition, the risk of developing melanoma increases.

3. Possible associated autoimmune disorders

There are suggestions that vitiligo is a kind of autoimmune disease. Therefore, when spots appear, it will not be superfluous to check for other autoimmune disorders: diabetes, thyroid diseases, Addison's disease and others. It is not at all certain that they will show up. But it is still worth consulting with a doctor on this topic.

Where does vitiligo come from?

Why skin cells in certain parts of the body suddenly lose melanin is not yet reliably known to science Vitiligo. Three reasons are considered most likely:

• Autoimmune. Perhaps vitiligo is a reaction of the immune system, only instead of microbes, it attacks the body's own cells, destroying melanocytes - those that produce the pigment melanin.
• Genetic. Often members of the same families suffer from vitiligo, so scientists tend to associate this disease with heredity.
• Traumatic. Sometimes the development of this disorder is triggered by sunburn or chemical burns. There are also cases when the formation of depigmented areas is associated with severe stress experienced.

How to correct and treat vitiligo

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to restore lost melanocytes. However, it's worth a try. And you need to start by visiting a dermatologist.

A doctor's consultation is required. It is necessary to exclude other skin diseases and assess the general condition of the body.

Natalia Kozlova head of the dermatovenerological department

The doctor will examine the patient's Vitiligo, look at the patient's medical history, and ask about family history and lifestyle. This is usually enough to establish a diagnosis. In some cases, you will be prescribed a blood test - this is important so that the doctor can be sure that there are no autoimmune diseases.

Further, depending on the amount and size of vitiligo, the dermatologist will offer correction options.

Medical camouflage

If the spots are small and few, you can mask them with a special medical camouflage. This is a good option for young children who are too early to take certain medications. But there is only a drawback: the method is time consuming, you will have to paint all the time.

Creams and ointments

Hormonal agents can help bring back the color. They work best in the early stages of the disease.

If no more than 20% of the skin is affected, glucocorticosteroid ointments and creams are prescribed. Six months later, if the treatment does not give an effect, it is corrected.

Natalia Kozlova head of the dermatovenerological department

Therapeutic procedures

According to Natalia Kozlova, there are several options for therapeutic treatment: narrow-band ultraviolet therapy, selective phototherapy, laser radiation, exposure to monochromatic light. They are used if ointments and creams do not help or the disease has spread widely throughout the body.

Surgery

Transplantation of donor skin areas is also possible. The surgeon takes a small portion of the healthy epidermis and places it on the patient's site. This procedure is applied to small areas of the body.

How to prevent vitiligo

There are no guaranteed ways to protect yourself from vitiligo. But you can reduce the risks. Proceed like this:

• Wear sunscreen even in winter. Choose products with an SPF of at least 30. Apply to exposed skin every 2 hours while outdoors.
• Do not go to the solarium, and if you go to a sunny resort, follow the rules of competent tanning.
• Protect your skin. Try to avoid scratches or other damage. And, of course, give up tattoos and piercings.