There are mainly 3 myths about the treatment of vitiligo which prevail in the medical profession. The very first myth is regarding the treatment. Treatment of vitiligo is just impossible. This is not true clearly and most of the patients may achieve the desired goals.
Another myth which prevails is that oral psoralens that form the basis of the treatment for vitiligo are toxic to the liver. But oral psoralens aren’t toxic for the liver. 3rd myth about the treatment is that Psoralen plus UVA treatment for vitiligo causes cancer of the skin. When used for treating vitiligo, PUVA therapy needs just a small amount of treatment i.e. approximately 150 which have not been still shown to be a cause of skin cancer.
Options for Treatment of Vitiligo
The 3 options are presently available for treating vitiligo; cover-up, sunscreen, bleaching the normal skin with the help of topical cream for removing the normal pigments of the skin for making it even in color and restoration of the normal color of the skin.
- Usage of A Sunscreen on The Skin
Why should you use sunscreen? The main aim of using sunscreen is to protect the unpigmented skin from the sunburn relations and for limiting tanning of the normally pigmented skin. The protection factor from sunscreen needs to be not less than at least SPF- 30 since this grade blocks not just erythema but it also effects of the sunlight on DNA of skin cells. Treatment with the help of sunscreen usually it photos types 1, 2 and many times 3 for those who burn, then tanning to some extent.
- Cover Up the Skin
The main aim of covering up with make-up and dyes is for hiding the white macules so that vitiligo is not so visible. Self-tanning creams and camouflage are very helpful for a few patients.
- Restoring the Normal Colour of The Skin
Restoration of the normal color of the skin might take the form of the spot treatment of the treatment of the whole body.
Spot Treatment of The Skin- Topical Corticosteroid Cream and Lotions
The initial treatment with some topical corticosteroid lotions is simple, practical as well as safe. In case there’s no response in two months, it’s not likely to be efficient. The physicians monitoring every two months to look for symptoms of early steroid atrophy i.e. thinning of skin is needed.
Spot Treatment- Topical Oxsoralen
Even more complicated is the usage of Topical Oxsoralen. Oxsoralen is phototoxic which is likely to cause sunburn and phototoxicity last for approximately 3 or more days. It needs to be performed just as an official process just for the small spots and only by well-experienced physicians on the patients who are well informed.
Spot Treatment- Mini Grafting
Mini grafting that involves transplantation of the normal skin of the patient to vitiligo affected spots might be a quite useful technique for the refractory segment vitiligo macules. PUVA might be needed following the process for unifying the color between graft sites.
