Vitiligo Problem? Here Are The Proven Vitiligo Treatment Options
Vitiligo is a medical condition in which the skin loses its natural pigmentation and develops colourless patches that soon cover the entire body, changing the person’s complexion in those parts significantly. Debate over what exactly causes vitiligo is still ongoing, but it is found that people who have vitiligo, diabetes or thyroid running in their families are more susceptible to this disease.
The psychological effects of vitiligo resulting from the change in physical appearance are more devastating than the physical ones, which is the primary reason why patients and their families desperately seek vitiligo treatment. Spreading of patches can either be stopped completely or their growth can be reduced through treatment. However, in cases where no signs of growth are seen for over two years, a number of options for re-pigmentation are available as well.
One of the most popular vitiligo treatments is PUVA, in which the drug Psoralen that reacts with ultraviolet light to cause darkening of skin is taken by the patient orally, and this is followed by carefully timed exposure of the affected area to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light. This treatment has been shown to work successfully in more than half of the patients.
Patients can also go for surgical treatments for vitiligo, which are becoming increasingly popular. Miniature punch grafting is normally part of all such treatments. In this technique, a surgical punching instrument is used to make punches of around 2mm diameter on the donor’s skin, which are then grafted on to the patient’s affected areas. This procedure has to be followed by PUVA treatment to cause skin-pigmenting melanocytes to form again.
Ultra thin skin grafting, in which the affected area gradually starts pigmenting due to transference of melanocytes after a thin layer of skin is grafted on the area, and suction blister grafting are other types of the same basic line of treatment. These treatments too are found to work remarkably well in curing the disease.
Other kinds of treatments are also possible, both in standard medical therapies and alternative ones, whose success rates greatly vary. Besides, a complete cure for vitiligo may soon be a reality, with researchers making significant progress in stem cell research.
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