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Treatments Used For Vitiligo
Steroid Creams:
Your doctor may prescribe use of steroid creams in the early stage of vitiligo. The steroid thins the skin and also cannot be used for a long time. Immuno-modulators may also be used in place of steroids.
PUVA:
Another common treatment is PUVA. In PUVA a drug called psoralen is either applied or given orally to the patient. This drug makes the skin very sensitive to UV radiation. The affected skin is then exposed to UV light. This may help re-pigmentation of the affected site. This treatment may be given twice a week for five minutes each and may continue for up to two years. Your doctor will decide about that. There is no guarantee that the regenerated pigment will not be lost again.
UVB:
The latest narrow band UVB therapy can also be used, but it is still not commonly available. There is no guarantee that the regenerated pigment will not be lost again.
Surgical Grafting:
Surgical graft of pigment carrying skin may be made on the vitiligo affected skin. Ask your doctor about it.
De-pigmentation:
If nothing seems to work and the patient has already developed vitiligo on a very large surface, some doctors advise de-pigmentation of the remaining normal skin to make the color even.
Hiding Vitiligo With Cosmetics:
There are many cosmetic brands available that can be used to hide the vitiligo. You need to talk to your doctor and try few and find out which suits you best. Dihydroxyacetone containing sunless tan can be used by light skinned people to get even color. You need to try out few products and decide what suits you most.
The vitiligo patient may suffer from psychological distress because of looks. One should accept one's condition if nothing can be done and continue with work and life normally. Vitiligo patients are healthy human beings who have only lost some color from their skin. They must take precaution against the sun and save their skin from sun damage and possible skin cancer.
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