What are white spots on the skin?
The skin is the first place that others will notice when they look at you. A few people may even notice that you have vitiligo on your skin color.
Vitiligo is not
It is not contagious and is thought to be the result of an autoimmune disease. It is a condition that occurs as a result of the body's immune system mistakenly attacking and destroying the body's own cells.
Normally, the human immune system is responsible for protecting the body from bacteria, but when immune cells kill the cells that produce skin color (melanocytes), vitiligo appears.
Occasionally, vitiligo can also cause hair to turn white, and people with vitiligo can also develop eye and ear infections. This is because these parts of the body contain melanocytes.
The diagnosis of vitiligo is.
It is diagnosed using a special light that makes the spots appear chalky. A skin sample may also be taken to look for pigment cells.
Although vitiligo does not cause pain, Dr. John Harris, a skin specialist at the University of Massachusetts, says that some people do experience itching.
Some people may also suffer from vitiligo. Some people may also suffer from vitiligo because they may have concerns about their appearance, low self-esteem, or a poor image of themselves.
Vitiligo can cause a decrease in quality of life because it tends to involve parts of the body that can't be hidden," Harris says.
There are several treatment options.
Some treatments aim to slow or stop the disease from worsening, while others aim to restore the skin's color. However, this treatment can be time consuming.
A type of phototherapy called UVB phototherapy is commonly used for treatment. It is irradiated with the aim of promoting the re-growth of pigment cells in the skin.
It is said that phototherapy is less likely to produce good results on the hands and more likely to produce good results on the face.
Also, for some people, medication to suppress the immune system may be required. These are prescribed as skin creams or pills.
Furthermore, since vitiligo is said to return when treatment is stopped, Dr. Harris' team is looking for ways to make the immune system "forget" the melanocytes. It is hoped that this will prevent the immune system from attacking them.
Drugs that suppress the immune system are
"It's like turning off the power in your house and then turning off the lights in your bedroom.
We want to create more targeted treatments," says Dr. Harris. "To prevent the spread of vitiligo, we need to
Protect the skin from ultraviolet light.
Avoid exposure to irritating chemicals.
Use cosmetics that conceal the vitiligo area (consult your doctor before using).
Ruxolitinib cream for treatment of vitiligo: a randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial. Rosmarin D, Pandya AG, Lebwohl M, Grimes P, Hamzavi I, Gottlieb AB, Rosmarin D, Pandya AG, Lebwohl M, Grimes P, Hamzavi I, Gottlieb AB, Butler K, Kuo F, Sun K, Ji T, Howell MD, Harris JE. Lancet. 2020 Jul 11;396(10244):110-120. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30609-7. PMID: 32653055.
Antibody blockade of IL-15 signaling has the potential to durably reverse vitiligo. Richmond JM, Strassner JP, Zapata L Jr, Garg M, Riding RL, Refat MA, Fan X, Azzolino V, Tovar-Garza A, Tsurushita N, Pandya AG, Tso JY, Harris JE. Sci Transl Med. 2018 Jul 18;10(450):eaam7710. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed. aam7710. pm: 30021889.
Conclusion
The cause of vitiligo has been announced as a problem of the autoimmune system. Since it is an autoimmune problem, the fundamental treatment is still being explored, but it is necessary to keep up with UV care to protect the skin.
However, it is necessary to keep up with UV care to protect the skin.
