Author: vitiligotreatmentindia

Different Treatment for Vitiligo

Approximately one percent of the world’s population has vitiligo. When you have vitiligo, the cells that are responsible for your skin color are damaged. These cells, called melanocytes, no longer produce skin pigment, called melanin. Once the cells no longer produce melanin, areas of your skin will lose color or turn white.

Areas of lost pigment can develop anywhere on your body, including:

  • sun-exposed areas like the hands, feet, arms, and face
  • inside the mouth or other mucus membranes
  • nostrils
  • genitals
  • back of the eye
  • within the hearing system of the ear

Your hair may also turn grey or white if the areas involved have hair.

Even though vitiligo can affect many different parts of the body, it’s not contagious. A person with vitiligo can’t transmit it to someone else.

What are your treatment options?

Treatments for vitiligo aim to restore color balance to your skin. Some treatments aim to add pigment while others remove it. Your options will vary according to:

  • the severity of your condition
  • the location and size of your patches
  • how many patches you have
  • how widespread the patches are
  • how you respond to treatment

The types of treatments include medical, surgical, or a combination of both. But not all treatments work for everyone and some may cause unwanted side effects.

Always contact your doctor if you start experiencing side effects due to a treatment. They may readjust your dosage or provide alternatives.

Medical

You’ll usually need at least three months of treatment before you can see its effects. Medical treatments include:

Topical creams: Some creams, including corticosteroids, can help return color to white patches in the initial stages. Others help slow the growth. You’ll need a prescription for creams that are strong enough, but they can also cause side effects when used for a long time.

Oral medications: Some medications like steroids and certain antibiotics may be effective in treating vitiligo. These are only available by prescription. Temporary results can only be seen using these.

Psoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy: This treatment combination requires you to take psoralen as a pill or apply it to your skin as a cream. Then your doctor exposes you to UVA light to activate the drugs which help restore color to your skin. Afterwards, you’ll need to minimize sun exposure and wear protective sunglasses.

Depigmentation: Your doctor may recommend depigmentation if more than 50 percent of your body is affected and you want to balance your skin. This often is a solution when treatments to return pigment to your skin have failed. Depigmentation focuses on fading the rest of the skin to match the areas that have lost color. It can take up to two years for treatment to be effective. You’ll apply a medication like monobenzone as directed by your doctor. The biggest side effect of depigmentation is inflammation. This treatment tends to be permanent and you’ll be extra sensitive to sunlight.

Surgical:Surgical options are available when medications and light therapy don’t work. Your doctor can recommend surgical options if you have had no new or worsening white patches in the last 12 months, and your vitiligo wasn’t caused by sun damage.

Even if you are undergoing medical treatment for vitiligo, the results can be slow. So, you may want to incorporate the following:

Sunscreen: Reducing sun expose can help keep your skin even. Tanning will add contrast to your skin, making affected areas more visible. The higher the SPF, the more protection you receive. It is important to use sunscreen as areas without pigmentation are susceptible to sunburns and sun damage.

Cosmetics: Makeup or self-tanning lotions can help even out your skin tone. You may prefer self-tanning lotions because the effect lasts longer, even with washing.

How Ayurveda Helps Treat Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a skin pigmentation disorder in which melanin producing called melanocytes in the skin are destroyed. As a result, white patches appear on different parts of the body. Similar patches also appear on both the mucous membranes, and the retina. The hair that grows on vitiligo affected areas sometimes turns white. The most extensively accepted opinion is that the depigmentation occurs because Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system responds against the body’s own organs or tissues.

Causes

According to Ayurveda, the primary reason behind autoimmune diseases is virudh aahar sevan, which means eating foods that are opposite in composition and nature. It results in formation of toxins inside your body, which disturbs your immune system. It leads to degeneration of melanocytes, causing vitiligo.

Further, Vitiligo is associated with specific auto-immune and inflammatory disorders like Thyroid, Psoriasis, Diabetes, and Pernicious Anemia. Vitiligo may also be hereditary; that is, it can run in families. Children whose parents have the disease are more likely to develop Vitiligo.

Symptoms

  • White patches on skin
  • Premature graying of scalp hair
  • Loss of color inside the mouth

Ayurvedic Vitiligo Treatment

According to Ayurveda, Shwitra or Vitiligo occurs due to augmentation of Pitta in the body. Pitta symbolizes fire in Ayurveda and is manifested in the skin, along with other body organs. It is of five types. One of them is Bhrajak Pitta, which is responsible for the coloration of the skin. In the case of Vitiligo, Bhrajak Pitta gets imbalanced; resulting in the formation of ama, which then impairs deeper body tissues like rasa dhatu (nutrient plasma), mamsa (muscles), rakta (blood), and lasika (lymph). This eventually causes depigmentation of the skin.

The disease is deep embedded and needs specific herbal treatment for vitiligo that involves the right diet and specialized herbal combinations to calm Pitta and purify ama from the body.

Diet & Lifestyle Advice

  • Whole grains like porridge and whole wheat products are better than highly refined carbohydrates like pasta.
  • Adequate hydration is an important component of healthy diet which should not be ignored.
  • Foods rich in Vitamin C such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, and green tea should be avoided.
  • Avoid eating non-vegetarian foods like fish and red meats, as they may be highly antigenic and may worsen the autoimmune process. Also avoid eggs, milk, and dairy products.
  • Alcoholic and flavored drinks, ice creams, chocolates and any form of junk food is not recommended.
  • Avoid intake of sour foods like pickles, sour yogurt, and sour strawberries.
  • Neem in any form is useful.  Mung dal is also good.

Try these remedies and consult a reputed and experienced vitiligo specialist to get quick relief from Vitiligo.