Vitiligo is a skin disease that causes white spots to appear on the skin. It is also popularly known as ala disease or pied disease. This disease, which can occur at any age and is not contagious, can affect any part of the body. Symptoms usually appear before the age of 20. The loss of color on the skin may grow over time. Treatment usually focuses on restoring the discoloration of the skin.
The disease is not life-threatening or contagious. However, it can negatively affect people because of its appearance and can be a source of stress and anxiety. Complications of the disease include social or psychological problems as a result of skin discoloration.
What Causes Vitiligo?
Although the causes of vitiligo are not known exactly, it is known that there are some conditions that increase the likelihood of the disease. The autoimmune mechanism is one of the important factors involved in the development of the disease. This mechanism can be explained as the immune system sees the body's own cells as a risk and attacks these cells.
Melanocytes are responsible for the production of pigment that provides color to the skin. When the immune system attacks these cells, pigment production is negatively affected and this causes the disease. In addition to these, other factors thought to be factors in the development of the disease are as follows:
- Genetic factors
- Stress
- Severe sunburn
- Skin trauma
- Chemical exposure
What are the Symptoms of Vitiligo?
The most important symptom among the symptoms of vitiligo is the irregular loss of color in the skin. It appears as white or light colored spots on the skin. It is usually first seen on the hands, face and open areas of the body that are more exposed to the sun.
In addition to skin discoloration, other symptoms include faster whitening or graying of hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, beard or hair, discoloration of the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, discoloration or discoloration of the retina of the eye.
The disease can occur at any age. However, symptoms usually appear before the age of 20. Color loss can occur in any part of the body and can be of different extents, depending on the type and condition of the disease.
The most common type is called generalized vitiligo. In this type, the discolored patches often appear symmetrically and similarly on opposite parts of the body. They can also appear on more than one part of the body. It is not known how the disease will develop and grow.
In some cases, the spots stop growing and progressing on their own without treatment. In addition, it is common for the pigment loss to increase continuously and a large part of the skin to be affected.
When the symptoms of the disease start to appear, it is important to see a doctor immediately. As it is known, there is no treatment method that shows a complete cure. However, with the right treatment, color loss can be slowed down, stopped and skin color can be restored, even if a little.
How is Vitiligo Disease Diagnosed?
Vitiligo can be diagnosed during a physical examination performed by a dermatologist. White spots on the skin of the person during the examination are the most important symptoms for the diagnosis of the disease.
In order to reach a definitive diagnosis, an examination is performed with a light called Wood light. The light increases the visibility of the spots during the examination and skin changes and small spots that are not visible in daylight can be detected.
In some cases, if deemed necessary by the doctor, different diagnostic tests such as pathological examination by taking a biopsy sample from the skin can be used. Some blood tests may also be ordered to determine whether the disease is caused by the immune system.
People who are diagnosed with the disease as a result of the examination, tests and some examinations should be careful in line with the recommendations given by the doctor. In addition, the treatment process is planned with the diagnosis of the disease.
How Does Vitiligo Go Away?
There are many treatment methods to reduce skin discoloration and loss and to restore normal skin color. However, the results to be obtained from the treatment process cannot be predicted in advance and these results may differ from person to person. In addition, some of the methods used may have serious side effects on patients.
Since serious complications may arise as a result of treatment methods, tanning products or make-up applications may be recommended by the doctor in the first stage. However, if treatment methods such as medication, surgery or therapy are preferred, it is not clear how effective these methods will be and they may take a long time.
Many approaches and their combination can be tried to find the appropriate method for each case. The disease may recur as a result of positive treatment progress. For this reason, people with this disease should avoid exposure to sunlight and take precautions against this condition.
How is Vitiligo Treated?
The treatment of vitiligo is firstly to prevent the loss of color on the skin and to give the skin color a normal appearance. The underlying causes of the disease are tried to be identified and efforts are made to eliminate these factors.
When it is determined that the disease develops due to autoimmune mechanisms, the specialist may recommend drugs that suppress the immune system. If deemed necessary by the doctor, light therapy can be applied to the patient.
Light therapy, also known as phototherapy and excimer laser treatment, is an application aimed at eliminating the development of spots on the skin and the spots that occur. Antioxidant supplements may also be recommended in some cases.
It is also possible to use some creams in the treatment upon doctor's recommendation. Creams containing tacromilus and pimecrolimus or cortisone can be used to prevent the disappearance and formation of spots that develop depending on the condition of the disease.
However, these creams should definitely be used under the supervision of a doctor, as long-term use of these creams may cause deterioration and differentiation in the skin structure. In some cases, white spots may spread throughout the body and may be very large in size. A different treatment method applied to such patients is depigmentation.
In depigmentation treatment, the pigments on the entire skin are removed and the entire body is made white. In this method, which is performed with a chemical called monobenzylether, pigment loss is permanent and the treatment continues for about a year. During this period, patients should avoid sun exposure and use sunscreen with high protection factor. Creams recommended by the doctor should be used.
Color loss and spots that occur as a result of the disease can lead to unhappiness, loss of self-confidence, and psychological problems such as stress and depression. For this reason, the cases should be evaluated psychologically and if any psychological disorders are identified, psychological support should be provided in addition to the treatment.