Understanding the symptoms of vitiligo
Dr.Kut | Mar 20, 2010 | Comments 0
Vitiligo is a skin condition that manifests itself in the form of white patches in the skin, premature graying of the hair and in some cases you can also see color changes inside of the mouth of the person suffering from this disorder. Some people believe that this condition is created by too much exposure to the sun; however, there is no conclusive research to this theory.
There are some theories to the causes of the disorder. For example, some doctors believe that people develop antibodies which destroy melanocytes and this is what causes the reaction in the skin and hair color, others believe that the melanocytes destroy themselves, however the reasons or causes of the destruction are unknown, and third that it is caused by extreme stress caused by environmental conditions that is affecting that sensitive part of your organism.
It is also believed that it can be a hereditary disease that is carried from generation to generation and therefore very difficult to understand. Vitiligo affects about 50 million people all over the world and it is normally seen around the age of 30 plus.
There are some treatments that have been incorporated to try and get rid of this unwanted condition, and grafting of the skin is one of them. This is a risky procedure as it is not really accurate to think that you will get fully benefited by the treatment and the condition may just find another place to start its work again. Also, there are risks of developing infections and other complications with skin grafting techniques.
There are other techniques like tattooing. This is easily done with people of darker skin, and although this does not really affect your skin in any way, the tattoo will fade eventually, leaving the person back in the same condition as before.
There are more complicated techniques, like the antilogous melanocyte transplants where the patient’s skin is multiplied by using cell culture solution and then implanting the skin in the affected area. Sun protection is recommended to avoid the spread of the disorder and there are some cosmetics available to keep a good appearance only.
The patterns of vitiligo vary from person to person and you can find people that have only got a small white patch somewhere in a part of their bodies, which is usually the face or hands. However, you can also find those that are having problems with the condition spreading to different parts of the body in a very fast manner.
Because of its appearance in the skin, vitiligo does not only affect the skin condition, it is also affecting the emotional and psychological aspect of a person as this is creating a very bad situation for his or her looks. This is a condition that can appear on anybody at any time in their lives and it can create many traumas as well. Getting proper support from the family and doctors to overcome the traumatic situation is very important at this stage.
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Filed Under: Skin, Hair and Nails
