Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a skin disorder characterized by patches of pigment loss on the body. The result is areas of white or pale skin, mostly on the extremities but also sometimes found on the scalp. A lack of melanin, the substance that determines eye, hair and skin color, will produce this result. As no one is quite sure what triggers skin cells to stop or start producing melanin, there are times when the patches have been known to develop in one or more spots. Those spots may get bigger, stay the same or even re-pigment themselves, only to develop on some other part of the body. For some, the condition is light and barely noticeable. For others, the size of the patches that steadily increase over time makes the disorder quite noticeable. Vitiligo is a non-contagious disorder.

Although vitiligo is thought to be the result of heredity or a branch of an autoimmune disorder, it is not known what actually triggers the affliction. While some have experienced outbreaks during or after extreme emotional stress or following sun exposure, this is certainly not the case for all. There are those predisposed to vitiligo because of their family history that never develop the disorder at all. Aside from the typical symptoms of pigment loss, sufferers can experience pigment loss in the eyes, mouth and scalp. Premature graying of hair on the body or face is also common. As pictures of vitiligo will show, pigment loss can commonly occur in only one small area of the body, one side of the body or it can be widespread. The unpigmented patches retain as normal and healthy a texture as pigmented skin.

Although there is no cure for vitiligo, there are many vitiligo treatments, from all natural to high tech. Vitiligo treatment can vary depending on the severity and even the age of the patient. Children often use an ointment called tacrolimus for vitiligo as laser treatment for vitiligo is not good for young patients or their skin. Effective treatments have been found through technologies such as BClear for vitiligo which is a form of UVB light therapy. While there are many products that claim to be a vitiligo cure, those who prefer a natural supplement for vitiligo have found great success in Vitiligo Tab, an oral herbal remedy found online. Those who opt for a more invasive vitiligo treatment can repigment light patches with a vitiligo tattoo. The newest treatment for vitiligo that has been quite successful involves implanting a person's own healthy melanin producing cells into patches of unpigmented skin.