There are a lot of myths around vitiligo that need to be busted. Is it possible to get rid of vitiligo? Read the article to know more.
Vitiligo is a skin disease that gives discolored patches to your skin. It can affect several areas of your body, including eyes, hair, and the inside of your mouth. The total area of affected skin can vary from person to person. And the affected parts of the body can remain the same for a lifetime.
The areas affected, are photosensitive. It means the areas affected by vitiligo are more sensitive to sunlight. And it isn’t possible to predict where the patches will grow and spread. There is no predictable time for the patches to be spread all over the skin.
Myths:
- Only dark-skinned people get vitiligo
- Vitiligo is related to skin cancer
- Vitiligo is contagious
- People with vitiligo have it from their birth
- It is predictable to know who will have vitiligo
Facts:
- Vitiligo can affect anyone with any complexion. It doesn’t matter if the skin is dark or not
- Vitiligo is totally another disease that has no connection with diseases like skin cancer or leprosy
- It is not at all contagious. But it may run in heredity.
- One can have vitiligo at any age, no matter 20 or 60.
- Vitiligo can never be predicted. The only symptom of Vitiligo is the visibility of the skin patches.
FAQs:
- What causes Vitiligo?
One can never point out a particular cause of Vitiligo. It is totally unclear. But some the facts can surely affect its increasing
- Disorder in the immune system
- Genetic oxidative stress imbalance
- Harm to the skin due to toxic chemicals
- Serious sunburn
- Neural cause
- Viral infection
- Heredity
Vitiligo can affect one person at any age and is not predictable at all.
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- Are there any symptoms that can predict Vitiligo?
Vitiligo has the one and only symptom. That is, the discolored patches to show up on your skin. And start spreading. The area where the first patch comes up tends to be more exposed to the sun. And with time the patches start becoming paler than the rest of your skin.
- How to know I have Vitiligo?
If your doctor suspects that you have Vitiligo then he will ask for your medical history. He may use a special lamp to shine ultraviolet light on your skin. He can also examine you for dermatitis or psoriasis. He can also check with a skin biopsy and blood draw test.
- Is Vitiligo curable?
Mainly Vitiligo can never be totally cured. But the condition and visibility can be decreased. It includes medications, surgeries, therapies, and many more.
Medications:
No medicine can actually help you get rid of vitiligo but some creams and drugs can de-tone the skin color and make it less noticeable.
There are some creams that control inflammation and help to return the color of your skin. Some of the medicines help to grow your immune system and are effective for them who have small areas of depigmentation.
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But these medications have side effects too.
Therapies:
Light therapies can be done if one needs to get the skin tone back. Here, the treatment combines a plant-derived substance, psoralen with light therapy that helps to return the color.
Sometimes if the Vitiligo is spread too much another therapy is done where the doctor removes the remaining skin colors that are not affected by vitiligo and lightens the rest of the skin, so that all the skin matches the color of the depigmented areas.
Therapy has better results than medication.
Surgeries:
Surgeries like skin grafting, blister grafting can be used if the therapies don’t work.
In skin grafting, the doctor removes a small section of your pigmented skin and attaches them to the affected skin that has lost the color. This can be only possible if one has small patches only.
In blister grafting, the doctor creates some blisters on the pigmented skin and removes the top of the blister and attaches that to the affected area.
It may cause scarring, infection, skin damage and even failure too.
- Are there any precautions one can take?
You cannot completely get rid of vitiligo. It isn’t a disease that can be treated with time. But it is possible to reduce the possibility to let it spread all over the skin.
One should always try to protect his/her skin from direct sun exposure. Use water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 at least. Use shades and unrevealing clothes when out in the sun. If the skin is already affected then try to conceal the skin, especially the patches. And most importantly try to avoid tattoos. It damages your skin to a great level.
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Vitiligo is the condition where the color of the affected skin becomes paler. And one can never predict or cure it totally. But surely it can protect its increase. Surgeries should be avoided as it may cause you a huge side effect and make it worse.
