VITILIGO: Is There Any Hope?

Most conditions pertaining to the skin, hair and nails are pretty common and tend to gradually subside with time sans any treatment, but some particular problems seem to be stubbornly prevalent – perhaps even on a permanent basis, causing not just unsightly disfiguration to one’s appearance, but also to one’s self-esteem.
One such disorder is called vitiligo, which is actually a pigmented disorder that occurs in the complexion of even the most robust human being. Although rare, this particular skin disorder is hard to prevent as it occurs as an autoimmune response that is generated from within the body, with conjunction to environmental triggers and genetic factors.
So how does vitiligo occur, and what does it look like?
Vitiligo develops when melanocytes (cells which are exclusively responsible for producing the brownish pigment that contributes to the tone of our skins) die or stop functioning completely. This in turn leads to lighter white patches along the entire body, mainly around key regions such as the face, hands and groin. The three main reasons as to why vitiligo may be occurring are elaborated below:

1. Auto-immunity: when leukocytes (or white blood cells) begin to attack normally functioning cells within the body along with foreign agents that threaten harm, vitiligo can occur as melanocytes could also be destroyed in due process,
2. Environmentally induced: predicaments of extreme trauma, stress or the absorption of toxic substances into the body could also lead to the permanent death of melanocytes,
3. Genetic: The DNA naturally present in a patient’s genes could inevitably trigger and contribute to this condition. Recent research has revealed that up to 20 different genes are involved during the initial stages of vitiligo.

How can vitiligo be diagnosed and cured?
A visit to a dermatologist is most prudent to begin a comprehensive analysis for the purpose of identifying what exactly has caused this condition, and how. Generally, certain questions asked by a doctor along with a biopsy and blood composition/eye evaluation helps to determine as to whether a patient’s vitiligo has been caused majorly due to autoimmune, environmental or genetic factors.


Treatment for this condition is carried out in mainly two ways: oral and topical. Whilst oral medications and cosmetic products simply aid in the reduction and/or concealment of the disorder, another state-of-the-art technology is being utilized for the sake of permanent cure, which is the power of laser light.
This functional innovation is by far the most potent technique of eradicating the negative effects of vitiligo on the skin. For a couple of sessions (depending on the severity of the patient’s condition – this can vary from 2 to 8 sessions), laser treatments introduce ultraviolet (UV) light rays over the affected areas of skin in a painless and non-invasive manner. The penetration of UV rays help to bring dead melanocytes back to life by re-energizing them to perform once again to their optimum level. The tone and texture of the skin as desired by the patient can thus be successfully achieved within the span of 30 to 45 days.