Vitiligo Treatment – These Are The 3 Key Alternatives That Are Available
Vitiligo is a condition where the skin gets discoloured and loses pigment, resulting in appearance of irregular white patches. The condition is also known as leukoderma and its exact causes are not fully understood. Vitiligo treatment is usually difficult because of its chronic nature, and a permanent cure is hard to achieve, but some procedures do offer partial relief.
Phototherapy, which artificially tans the skin through limited ultraviolet radiation, is a frequently used Vitiligo treatment. A drug called Psoralen is used under this treatment, and is either taken orally or is applied on the target area. Thereafter, the affected area is exposed to UVA radiation, which activates the cells that create melanin.
According to the vitiligo treatment site, skin grafting is also considered as one of the better treatments. This is a surgical procedure where the affected skin is replaced with a melanocyte graft, which is expected to start producing melanin in the affected area.
In the worst scenario, where almost all of the skin has become diseased, de-pigmenting the healthy areas is sometimes recommended. White patches cannot be distinguished from the normal skin after this treatment, which is cosmetically a better alternative for most patients. De-pigmentation should however be done only when no other option is available, and any potential negative effects must be carefully considered.
Some people also vouch for the efficacy of natural Vitiligo treatments. Peppermint oil and a naturally occurring substance called Ginkgo biloba are frequently used in such therapies. Many cosmetics are also being offered, which are made specially to conceal Vitiligo patches.
The above-mentioned Vitiligo treatments provide some sort of relief to the patients of the disease, and there is hope that soon the causes and a complete treatment of the disease can be found. With advancements in biotechnology, the chances of finding a permanent cure of the disease are increasing.