CONDITIONS
VITILIGO
What is vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a skin disorder which is characterized by loss of skin colour in patches. It affects people of any gender, age and ethnic group. These patches occur when melanocytes in your skin lose their function. Melanocytes are cells in your skin which are responsible for producing melanin, which protects your skin from the sun’s UV rays and gives your skin its colour.
What causes vitiligo?
Vitiligo occurs when your skin’s pigment-producing cells, called the melanocytes stop producing melanin. The exact cause of vitiligo is still not clearly understood, but genetic factors have been implicated, eventually leading to the damage of melanin producing cells
What are the signs of vitiligo?
Signs and symptoms of vitiligo may include:
- Patchy loss of your skin colour which may normally start appearing anywhere on your body, with the hands and face more commonly affected
- Whitening or greying of your hair on your scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard
- Loss of skin colour in the tissues inside your mouth and nose
Vitiligo normally doesn't cause any discomfort, irritation, soreness, or dryness in your skin.
What are the possible treatment options for vitiligo?
There is no cure for vitiligo, but it can be improved. Dr Ndongeni may recommend the following to improve the condition:
- Topical treatment options
Dr Ndongeni may prescribe topical treatments such as corticosteroids, and may prescribe topical calcineurin inhibitors for people who develop side effects to steroids or are not good candidates for steroids. This is the first-line therapy. - Systemic treatment
Dr Ndongeni may recommend systemic corticosteroids such as dexamethasone or prednisone, for extensive vitiligo or unresponsive to topical treatment. - Physical treatment
The dermatologist may recommend narrowband UVB therapy or targeted UVB therapy, in combination with both topical and systemic therapy. - Surgical options
The dermatologist may recommend tissue graft or cellular grafts, for failed therapy on all of the above vitiligo treatment options.
Treatment, which involves a range of options such as light therapy, topical corticosteroids and surgery for vitiligo, aims to restore the skin’s colour.
Vitiligo is not a painful condition. Sunburns on lighter skin can be severe, however.
There is currently no cure for vitiligo. However, there are treatments available to make skin more uniform.
Vitiligo commonly spreads in the 3-6 months after it first appears if not treated. It may then stop spreading for months or years, but regrettably, it relapses with further expansion after some time.
