VITILIGO TREATMENT OPTIONS

Vitiligo is a skin condition affecting the body's production of melanin in the skin, which causes white patches of skin on the body. There is no known cure for vitiligo, but the symptoms may be treated using various methods.

One treatment for vitiligo involves photo therapy, or treatment using light. With this method, ultraviolet rays are used to stimulate the body's melanocytes, which are the cells that produce melanin.



Another treatment involves grafting healthy skin into the areas of skin affected by vitiligo. Hopefully, the melanocytes in the healthy skin will begin producing melanin an obscure the pale spots of skin.

Herbal treatments have been used for centuries for treating vitiligo. Herbal treatments general involve a comprehensive treatment not only of the symptoms, but of suspected underlying causes. For example, a typical Chinese herbal treatment would address the symptoms of vitiligo with a topical, but it would also attempt to address underlying causes, such as the immune system, digestive system, liver, kidneys, and chi.

Homeopathic treatments are also used for vitiligo. Like herbal treatments, they attempt to address underlying causes, not just the symptoms.

One of the newest treatments for vitiligo is laser treatment therapy. Just like photo therapy, it uses ultraviolet rays to stimulate the melanocytes in your skin. Unlike photo therapy, however, it focuses the light using a laser, so it promises to be more effective and causes fewer side effects.

One treatment that is not often used involves using a chemical to uniformly remove pigmentation from the skin, so that the patient's skin is uniform instead of splotchy.

Doctors also sometimes use a combination of different treatments, sometimes with very good results. The results of vitiligo treatment are largely dependent on how severe the case is. In a large percentage of cases, vitiligo treatment is successful in largely mitigating the condition. However, much research remains to be done on vitiligo.

For more on vitiligo treatment options, visit http://www.vitiligotreatment.co.uk/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gabriel_J._Adams

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SURGICAL THERAPIES FOR VITILIGO TREATMENT

Vitiligo Surgical - All vitiligo surgical therapies must be considered only after proper medical therapy is provided. Vitiligo surgical techniques are time-consuming and expensive and usually not paid for by insurance carriers. They are appropriate only for carefully selected patients who have vitiligo that has been stable for at least 3 years:




Autologous skin grafts—the doctor removes skin from one area of your body and attaches it to another area. This type of skin grafting is sometimes used for patients with small patches of vitiligo. The doctor removes sections of the normal, pigmented skin (donor sites) and places them on the depigmented areas (recipient sites). There are several possible complications of autologous skin grafting. Infections may occur at the donor or recipient sites. The recipient and donor sites may develop scarring, a cobblestone appearance, or a spotty pigmentation, or may fail to repigment at all. Treatment with grafting takes time and is costly, and many people find it neither acceptable nor affordable.


Skin grafts using blisters—in this procedure, the doctor creates blisters on your pigmented skin by using heat, suction, or freezing cold. The tops of the blisters are then cut out and transplanted to a depigmented skin area. The risks of blister grafting include scarring and lack of repigmentation. However, there is less risk of scarring with this procedure than with other types of grafting.




Micropigmentation (tattooing)—this procedure involves implanting pigment into the skin with a special surgical instrument. This procedure works best for the lip area, particularly in people with dark skin. However, it is difficult for the doctor to match perfectly the color of the skin of the surrounding area.

The tattooed area will not change in color when exposed to sun, while the surrounding normal skin will. So even if the tattooed area matches the surrounding skin perfectly at first, it may not later on. Tattooing tends to fade over time. In addition, tattooing of the lips may lead to episodes of blister outbreaks caused by the herpes simplex virus.


Autologous melanocyte transplants—in this procedure, the doctor takes a sample of your normal pigmented skin and places it in a laboratory dish containing a special cell-culture solution to grow melanocytes. When the melanocytes in the culture solution have multiplied, the doctor transplants them to your depigmented skin patches. This procedure is currently experimental and is impractical for the routine care of people with vitiligo. It is also very expensive, and its side effects are not known.



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