Vitiligo Cause, Treatment & Images: 5 Facts About the Skin Pigmentation Disorder

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A medication made to treat rheumatoid arthiritis was recently found to reverse the effects of Vitiligo on the skin. According to Latinos Post, a woman in Connecticut used the medicine to treat her arthritis, only to find that it treated her vitiligo as well.

Below are some important facts to know about Vitiligo.

1. What is Vitiligo?

Medicine Net defines Vitiligo as a skin condition in which the skin turns white due to loss of pigmentation. The white color is a result of decreased production of melanocytes, which are the cells that create melanin — a pigment responsible for skin color.

When a person has vitiligo, melanocytes are destroyed and blotches of white skin may appear on the body. Lack of melanocytes may even turn hair white in affected areas.

Other than the color, the skin is not damaged by vitiligo. However, the skin may be more sensitive to sun exposure and might need extra protection.

2. What causes Vitiligo?

There is no known cause of vitiligo, reports NIH. However, there is some speculation that it might be an autoimmune disease, which occurs when a person's immune system attacks some parts of their own body.

Some researchers believe that the melanocytes might be destroying themselves. Meanwhile, others think that vitiligo can be caused by a single event like a sunburn or emotional distress, although there is no evidence to prove this hypothesis.

3. Symptoms of Vitiligo

Mayo Clinic lists down some of the most common symptoms of vitiligo, including:

• Skin discoloration
• Premature whitening or graying of the hair on the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, or beard (before age 35)
• Loss of color in the tissues that line the inside of the moth and nose
• Loss of or change in color of the inner layer of the eyeball (retina)
• Discolored patches around the armpits, navel, genitals and rectum

4. Available treatments for vitiligo

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends discussing treatment options with a dermatologist, if diagnosed with vitiligo. There are many options to treat the skin condition including but not limited to: Light or PUVA light treatment, medicines applied to the skin, natural or unconventional medical treatments, depigmentation and surgery.

5. Current studies on Vitiligo

The AAD reports that scientists are currently still studying the genes behind vitiligo. Aside from main cause of the skin condition, NIH reports that there are also studies being conducted focusing on several aspects of vitiligo, like the trauma and stress caused by it and new or better treatments for it.