What Is Vitiligo? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

What Is Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a condition that causes the skin to lose its color, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). This skin disorder can occur in people of any race. It’s most noticeable, though, among people with darker skin, because the contrast between normal skin tone and the white patches affected by vitiligo is more pronounced, notes the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

People with vitiligo experience skin color loss in various areas of the body. Often, it’s symmetrical, affecting both sides, such as the left and right hands or both knees. Some experience discoloration in the mouth, on the scalp, or of their hair, eyelashes, or eyebrows.

Signs and Symptoms of Vitiligo

According to the best dermatologists in Lahore, the emergence of light or “depigmented” areas on the skin is the most telling indicator of vitiligo. The pale patches are caused by a lack of melanin, the skin’s natural pigment. These spots can form anywhere on the body, but they are more likely to appear first in places that receive a lot of sun exposure, such as the face, arms, feet, and hands. White patches are also frequent in the groin, armpits, and around the belly button.

Other signs of vitiligo can include:

  • Hair turning prematurely gray or white
  • Eyelashes or eyebrows losing color and turning white
  • Change of color in the retina of the eye, 
  • Color loss in the nose and mouth
  • Inflammation of the ears or eyes leads to hearing loss and vision problems.
  • Where skin spots appear, how widespread the condition becomes, and how much it will progress vary from person to person.

      Causes and Risk Factors for Vitiligo

Researchers now understand that vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder, in which the body destroys parts of itself. “It happens when a part of the immune system starts to attack and kill the pigment cells — melanocytes — in the skin, resulting in the formation of white patches.

So why might the body’s immune cells attack healthy skin cells in the first place? 

These factors are known to increase the risk for vitiligo:

Family History and Genes 

About 20 percent of people with vitiligo have at least one close relative affected by this skin disorder and researchers have found that having a certain genetic profile makes people more susceptible to developing vitiligo. 

Environmental Triggers 

Vitiligo seems to be the result of both a preexisting genetic makeup and something in the environment setting off an autoimmune response that destroys melanocytes. Potential triggers include sunburn, exposure to certain chemicals, and trauma or injury to the skin.

     How Is Vitiligo Diagnosed?

        Some physicians will wish to conduct further testing in addition to a skin evaluation. A skin biopsy may be ordered by your best doctor in Lahore to determine the presence of melanocytes in your skin. Vitiligo is characterized by a paucity of melanocytes. Your best doctor in Lahore may also request a blood test to see whether you have another autoimmune illness.

        Treatment and Medication Options for Vitiligo

There is not currently a cure for vitiligo, but a growing variety of Vitiligo treatments In Lahore options can minimize the appearance of white skin spots.

   Nondrug and nonsurgical therapies include:

  • Makeup and self-tanners, which can cover up white patches and hair dye to bring color back to graying or white hair
  • Light therapy, specifically narrowband UVB.

Vitiligo Treatment Institute At Cosmetique DHA Lahore Branch