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Vitiligo is not so much a disease as a skin defect consisting of a lack of pigment in the skin, hair and iris of the eyes. The lack of melanin does not cause pain in the patient, but only spreading white spots, often with dark edges. What causes vitiligo and how do I deal with white spots on my skin?
Vitiligo , meaningalbinism , may occur from birth (congenital albinism) or manifest later (vitiligo). Melanin is a group of pigments produced by melanocytes and is responsible for the complexion of the skin and the color of the eyes and hair - the more of it, the darker these are.
Vitiligo: causes
Why in some organisms the production of pigment is disturbed and there is not enough of it? It is believed that the factor causing the development of vitiligo is a disruption of the immune mechanism as well as heredity.
The risk of developing vitiligo (a skin disease) also increases in people with thyroid disease and diabetes.
Vitiligo does not hurt - the affected person functions normally, the only inconvenience are the characteristic white spots appearing on the skin. These spots very often have dark-colored edges. They are especially noticeable with a swarthy complexion. These stains tend to spread.
A person affected by vitiligo may feel mentally ill, may feel worse, or even depressed - the spots are visible, difficult to hide, and they spread all the time.
Vitiligo: Symptoms
People with vitiligo from birth have light pink skin (this is caused by the show-through of blood vessels through thin, very light skin). Initially, small discolored patches are visible on the body of the newborn. Over time, vitiligo spots grow in size and begin to merge with each other, occupying an area of the entire body.
People suffering from congenital vitiligo may also have white or white-yellow hair and, very rarely, pink or red irises of the eye (in fact, the iris of the eye is most often colorless, only blood vessels show through it - hence the color) . Usually, however, albinos are able to produce enough melanin to color the eye light blue.
Vitiligo of the skin is accompanied by vitiligo of the nails and often visual disturbances, e.g.photophobia, nystagmus, changes in the retina.
Partial albinism usually manifests as a discoloration of the skin, with vitiligo patches along the nerves and hair. The most common skin discoloration is on the midline of the forehead, but it can also affect the hair, eyelashes and eyebrows.
WARNING! Do not expose white spots to the sunThe stains themselves do not pose a he alth risk, but it is dangerous to expose them to sunlight. Deprived of melanocytes, the skin is completely defenseless against ultraviolet rays, so it is easy to sunburn and neoplastic changes. All discolored areas should always be well protected from the sun, so if you suffer from vitiligo, you must use special creams and lotions with a high UV filter.
Vitiligo: treatment
There is no completely effective treatment for vitiligo. Lamp irradiation is often used in combination with light sensitizing drugs - PUVA therapy. This therapy takes about a year. Another method is autograft - thin flakes of the epidermis are transplanted from a he althy place onto the sick. A newer method is to apply steroids to the patient - at the beginning of the disease they are stronger, then weaker.
These methods are effective because they can restore the natural color of the skin, provided that they are used in the early stages of the disease, but not 100%. - re-pigmentation is only partial! Therefore, if you notice white spots appearing on your skin - do not hesitate and go to a dermatologist right away!
Expert advice
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How To Prevent The Spread Of Vitiligo?
I'm 34 years old. A year and a half ago, I noticed a small white spot (5 mm in diameter) on my reproductive organs. At first I did not pay attention to it, but a few months later I had more spots in this area, and bigger ones.
After about 7 months, spots began to appear on the left hand, then around the thumb. The same thing happened on the right hand. The spots around the thumb are large and slowly getting bigger. This year, I noticed another stain on the right corner of my mouth. It is a white spot 1 cm long. They become visible in summer, when the rest of the skin is tanned, then the spots remain white, sometimes slightly pink.
I live in England. Doctors do not know the cause of what is happening to my skin. Here it is called "vitiligo", and in Poland - albinism. Are there any measures to prevent these stains from spreading or losing pigment?
Answer Elżbieta Szymańska, MD, PhD
Dermatologist-venereologist. He deals with classical dermatologyand aesthetic. He works as a deputy manager in the Department of Dermatology at the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and as director of for medical matters, Center for Prevention and Therapy in Warsaw. Since 2011, he has been the scientific director of the Postgraduate Studies of the Medical University of Warsaw "Aesthetic Medicine".
In the case of vitiligo, it is worth performing additional diagnostics to eliminate other autoimmune diseases. Topical preparations, e.g. steroids or calcineurin inhibitors, are used in the treatment of vitiligo with a small extent of lesions. In diffuse or extensive forms, phototherapy is to be considered.
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Are self-tanners safe for people with vitiligo?
I would like to know if people with vitiligo can use self-tanning lotions?
Answer Elżbieta Szymańska, MD, PhD
Dermatologist-venereologist. He deals with classic and aesthetic dermatology. He works as a deputy manager in the Department of Dermatology at the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and as director of for medical matters, Center for Prevention and Therapy in Warsaw. Since 2011, he has been the scientific director of the Postgraduate Studies of the Medical University of Warsaw "Aesthetic Medicine".
There are no contraindications for the use of self-tanning lotions in vitiligo.