Vitiligo
Get the treatment you need at Riverchase Dermatology.
Vitiligo is a disorder that causes color loss in patches on the body. The affected area can lighten or turn completely white. Vitiligo (pronounced “vit-il-EYE-go”) most frequently presents on a person’s hands and feet, but it can appear anywhere on the body, including inside the mouth, nostrils, navel or genitals. In skin areas that have hair, the hair may turn white. Vitiligo cannot be cured, and it is not contagious.
Vitiligo FAQs
The patches typically appear first on the hands, arms, face and feet. Small areas with lost pigment are called macules, but areas larger than 1 centimeter are called patches. Many people with vitiligo feel healthy, although some experience itchiness or pain where the skin is affected. Living with vitiligo can cause low self-esteem, anxiety or depression, regardless of the amount or type of vitiligo.
Millions of people worldwide are affected by this disease. Vitiligo strikes men and women and people of all races equally. Most people develop symptoms before their 30th birthday and nearly half are diagnosed before the age of 21.
Vitiligo risk factors include the presence of an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s disease, which affects the thyroid, or alopecia areata, which causes hair loss. Vitiligo is thought to run in families, although just because a close blood relative has vitiligo doesn’t necessarily mean that you will develop it.
Vitiligo develops when melanocytes die. Menalocytes are the skin cells that produce melanin, which gives our skin and hair color. The reason why these cells die is unknown, but research points to several possible causes, including autoimmune disease, stress, genetic changes or environmental factors. When you have an autoimmune disease, the body mistakes a part of itself as foreign. When this happens, your body attacks and kills these cells.
Non-segmental vitiligo
This most common type of vitiligo. It’s also called bilateral or generalized vitiligo or vitiligo vulgaris. It appears on both sides of the body, such as on both knees or both hands, often starting on hands, fingers, wrists, feet or around the eyes or mouth. Non-segmental vitiligo begins with a rapid loss of color, and then stops, only to resume this start-and-stop cycle throughout a person’s life, becoming more noticeable and covering more and more of the body.
Segmental vitiligo or unilateral vitiligo
This form appears on one segment of the body, often the leg, face or arm. About half of individuals with segmental vitiligo lose some hair color. This form usually begins at an early age and progresses for about a year and then stops its advancement.
Treatments for Vitiligo
Riverchase Dermatology physicians typically treat two types of vitiligo, non-segmental and segmental or unilateral. There is no way to predict how much color a person will lose in their skin. Areas of color loss can remain unchanged for years, then enlarge and create new patches. Some people report getting new white patches after experiencing a period of stress. In some patients, the skin regains its color, but this is rare.
If you suspect that you have vitiligo, a Riverchase Dermatologist will review your personal and family medical history and perform a physical exam, looking carefully at the affected areas of the body. The doctor may order a blood test to check the health of your thyroid gland, which can help determine if you have a thyroid-related autoimmune disease. If your dermatologist finds that you have thyroid disease, they can prescribe treatment to successfully control it.
Most vitiligo treatment is designed to help restore lost skin color. Your best treatment option depends on many factors, including your general health, age and where white patches appear on your body. Some people choose not to treat vitiligo because some treatments can have unwanted side effects, take a long time to work or are unsuccessful.
Current treatment options include medications, phototherapy, bleaching, skin graft surgery, medical makeup or dye to camouflage white patches. It’s not possible to predict how a patient will respond to treatment. No one treatment works for everyone, and results can vary from one part of the body to another. Combining two or more treatments often produces the best results.
