The Vitiligo Disease

Vitiligo is a disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches on the body. It is a condition where the extent and rate of the color loss is unpredictable and can depend greatly on the person with the condition. Vitiligo can affect any part of the skin on the body, and there are no limits on where or how much of the disease can spread (Mayo Clinic). Vitiligo is not frequent in the global population. Studies show that vitiligo has a frequency of 0.1-2.0% in the various populations (Spritz 2003). There are various factors as to which this frequency is low. For example, many people are embarrassed about the condition and chose not to come forward about it. To this day doctors cannot find the real cause of vitiligo, but doctors do have some

The main sign of vitiligo is pigmented or color loss that produces white or light colored patches on the skin. The main parts of the body most at risk for this condition are areas of the skin exposed to the sun. Vitiligo, usually, first appears on the hands, feet, arms, face, or lips because these areas are most exposed to the sun. There are many signs of the condition of vitiligo. The main five signs are skin discoloration, premature whitening or greying of hairs, loss of color in the tissues that line the mouth and nose, loss in color of the inner layer of the eyeball, or discolored patches around the armpit, navel, genitals, and rectum. Vitiligo can happen at any age, but usually appears before the age of 20. There are three main types of vitiligo. The first is, generalized vitiligo,this is when the patches cover many parts of the body and they correspond symmetrically. The second type is segmental vitiligo and this is when the patches are in part or one side of the body. Lastly, the third type is localized or focal vitiligo, this is when the patches cover one or a few areas of the body (Mayo

There are many different ways to treat vitiligo. The first way to treat vitiligo is through cosmetics. Cosmetics is an easy way to add lost color to the skin and it is not a medical treatment. Cosmetic options include makeup, self tanner, or a skin dye. This is a safe way to make the vitiligo less noticeable on the skin. Second, the doctor could prescribe a topical medication in which the medicine could repigment the skin. This is an effective way to regain color on small parts of the body, but there are drawbacks such as the different side effects the medication can cause. Another way to treat vitiligo is through light treatment. Light treatment is done either through a light box or laser treatments. Light boxes are usually used to treat a widespread of vitiligo while a laser is used to treat smaller areas. Light treatment is an effective way to regain color loss but, the results can disappear over time. Next, patients can use PUVA light therapy and this type of treatment uses a UVA light and a medicine called psoralen to restore the skin 's color. This type of therapy is used to treat a widespread of vitiligo on a patient and it can be time consuming. The fifth type of treatment is surgery. This becomes an option when light therapy and medicine applied to the skin are not working. When surgery becomes the last resort, unaffected skin or skin cells are removed and are replaced with new skin cells of the same pigment