Vitiligo Diagnosis and Treatment

People often ask a common question, ‘How is vitiligo diagnosed?

If someone finds the occurrence of Vitiligo symptoms, they should hurriedly consult a dermatologist for a thorough medical checkup. The doctor may ask a set of questions to understand the patients’ history, habits, lifestyle and the possibility of Vitiligo within family or relatives.

The doctor will then proceed to physically examine the areas where de-pigmentation has been occurred in order to exclude any other possible skin problems. In some cases, doctors refer to some blood tests and eye examinations along with biopsy to ensure apt diagnosis.

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor will consider what treatment options are available for vitiligo.

From medical to surgical and superficial treatments, the measures to control and cure vitiligo are many. Some common treatments are,

Medical Therapies for Vitiligo Treatment:

• Medicines/steroids for external application on the skin such as the application of corticosteroid cream.
• Giving oral medication to be taken from the mouth
• UVB phototherapy – The most common method to treat Vitiligo using Ultra Violet lights 2-3 times a week.
• De-Pigmenting – When the patches are spread at large over ones’ skin, doctors tend to remove all skin pigment from remaining areas in order to even skin color. However, this results in extreme skin sensitivity and caution from sunlight becomes a must.

Various types of medical therapies include Unani, Ayurvedic and Home Treatment for Vitiligo.

Surgical Therapies for Vitiligo Treatment:

• Transplant – Taking active melanocytes from one region of the body and replacing the dead/dysfunctional ones with them; effectively re-pigmenting the affected areas.

Other Therapies:

Other therapies may not ‘cure’ vitiligo but are rather precautions for people suffering from the disease. Such as,

• Extensive use of sunscreens for protection from harmful sunrays.
• Cosmetics to conceal the discolored patches
• Counseling for emotional stability