At Kayakalp Global, I often encounter Vitiligo patients who have suffered in silence due to a lack of understanding about the condition. My advice is to encourage my patients to better understand the condition and avail integrated treatment options that restore their skin’s natural appearance and confidence.
Vitiligo, despite its prevalence, is a very misunderstood disease. While there isn’t a known cure for the condition yet, medical science and Ayurveda have exponentially grown, providing patients access to high-quality care and optimal results with the art of re-pigmentation.
The extent of treatment primarily depends on the type of vitiligo the patient has been diagnosed with. It also depends on the location and the severity of the loss of pigmentation on the patient’s skin.
With that said, this article will explore every last detail you need to know about the different types and treatment options for vitiligo to address the concerns.
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Different Types of Vitiligo
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of vitiligo disease, not knowing that there are multiple types of this condition is common. This autoimmune skin disorder is more than “white patches on the skin.”
In general, vitiligo is divided into two primary types:
Non – Segmental Vitiligo – This is the more common type of vitiligo. In this type, uneven, light-coloured or white patches appear on both sides of the body. The prominence of the white patches typically starts in the areas where the friction is maximum against the skin. In most cases, the discolouration starts around the hands and spreads to the mouth or the eye region.
Segmental Vitiligo – This is a lesser occurring type of vitiligo that affects 1 in 10 vitiligo patients. People with segmental vitiligo often start noticing the discolouration at an early age, which continues for a maximum of a year, after which the discolouration stops. As the name suggests, it occurs on one side of the body, presumable on one side of the arms and legs. Patients with this type of vitiligo also witness hair colour changes.
Besides these primary types of vitiligo, there are a few other types worth discussing. They include:
Mucosal – This affects the mucous membranes inside the mouth and around the genitals of an individual.
Trichome – This type of vitiligo results in a target-like appearance, characterized by a central white or colourless spot surrounded by a lighter pigmented area and an outer ring of your regular skin colour.
Universal – This is the rarest type of vitiligo, where 80% of the patient’s skin ends up losing its pigmentation due to damage to the melanocytes.
At Kayakalp Global, our treatment plan heavily relies on the type of vitiligo the patient has. Depending on the location and severity, Dr Shailendra Dhawan curates a customized vitiligo treatment for the patient.
Related Blogs: 10 Best Home Remedies for Vitiligo Diseases
Why is Getting Vitiligo Treatment Crucial?
It is true that vitiligo isn’t life-threatening. However, vitiligo does impose the risk of certain complications in a handful of patients.
Hence, considering treatment is crucial to ensure that things aren’t taking a tumble for the worse. Some of the common complications associated with vitiligo are:
Sensitive Skin – The part of the skin where the macules or patches develop lacks melanocytes and, in turn, melanin. Hence, they become more sensitive to UV ray exposure from the sunlight. These can lead to risks of sunburn in patients too.
Vision-related issues – Some patients with vitiligo often experience retinal abnormalities and variation in their irises, which, if left untreated, can lead to inflammation and damage.
Risks of autoimmune disorders – Patients diagnosed with vitiligo are often at heightened risk of other types of autoimmune disorders, including thyroid disorders, diabetes, anaemia, etc.
Emotional issues – Vitiligo Symptoms or complications aren’t limited to a person’s physical appearance. In fact, it affects their emotional well-being equally. Patients with vitiligo are often conscious about their appearance and have low self-esteem. They are also at heightened risk of developing anxiety and depression.
With the complications out of the way, let us discuss the treatment options available for Vitiligo at Kayakalp Global.
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Related Blogs: Common Concerns about Vitiligo
Treatment Options for Vitiligo Treatment
At Kayakalp Global, Dr Shailender Dhawan’s aim is to help his patients regain a uniform skin tone with the art of re-pigmentation. Not just the physical aspect of the treatment, Dr Dhawan also prioritizes the emotional well-being to help his patients restore their self-esteem and overcome their body image issues.
The treatment plan at Kayakalp is as follows:
Consultation and Diagnosis
The first step is to assess the type of vitiligo the patient has, the extent of the spread of the macules and patches and the severity of the discolouration. We also focus on ascertaining the stability of the disease before curating a tailored treatment plan.
Stable or Unstable Spread
Following the diagnosis, there are two routes of treatment:
If the patches are stable, we resort to colour-forming herbal medicines, which are prescribed for both internal and external administration.
If the patches are unstable and consistently spreading, we prescribe medications that have dual actions – stop the spread of the discolouration and also promote re-pigmentation on the skin.
Steroidal Use
Some vitiligo patients who are on steroids are gradually tapered off of the medication as we make a transition from Allopathy to Ayurveda gradually. This is done after close monitoring of how the patient is responding to the ongoing treatment.
We aim for no side effects, hence, focus on using approved herbal medications instead of long-term steroidal use, which has severe complications associated with it.
Diet Plans
Besides medication and ongoing treatment, we also focus on guiding our patients with proper diet plans that augment the effects of the treatments the patient is on.
We target prevalent vitamin and mineral deficiency in the patient, which are common triggers of vitiligo. For example, some vitiligo patients have worse symptoms because they have a copper deficiency in their bodies. So, testing the patient for certain deficiencies, like copper, vitamin B12, folic acid, etc., is crucial. Following that, our nutritionists curate a comprehensive diet plan.
Besides deficiencies, there are certain food groups and food combinations which elevate the risks of vitiligo. Our experts help our patients understand what’s good for them and what’s not when it comes to their diet.
Related Blogs: Early Stages of Vitiligo: Steps to Cure
Accessory Treatments for Vitiligo
Besides the standard treatment plan we discussed above, there are a few other medical advancements which promote the treatment of vitiligo disease.
They include:
Lasers
An excimer laser is a treatment option where laser light is applied to the vitiligo patches. However, it’s important to note that this method can only effectively treat white patches that have black hairs growing on them.
Cosmetic Concealers
Kayakalp Global also offers high-quality and well-formulated cosmetic concealers to help patients temporarily even their skin tone. They are made with good-quality ingredients and pigments, which are transfer-proof and non-staining. Also, they are waterproof.
Side Note: Many patients consider getting tattoos or micro pigmentation with hopes that it will even the skin tone or conceal the white patches on the skin. In most cases, these treatments don’t show favourable results since the ink has a tendency to oxidize over time, leading to a murky blue or grey shade, which appears even more unflattering on the patient’s skin.
Related Blogs: Is Vitiligo Related to Heredity Or Is It Genetic?
Conclusion
Vitiligo often leads to appearance-related issues in patients that lead to lowered self-esteem. At Kayakalp Global, our primary focus lies in helping our patients overcome their limitations and thrive in their lives. Our team of expert professionals and experienced doctors are rooted in providing maximum patient satisfaction with optimal results in re-pigmenting the discoloured patches on the skin.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Which type of vitiligo is treatable?
Vitiligo is not curable as of now. But the current treatment approaches used by doctors for vitiligo now focus on re-pigmenting the discoloured patches on the skin and/or slowing down the spread of the patches. There is no known cure for the disease yet.
2. Can Vitamin D reverse Vitiligo?
Certain studies indicate that Vitamin D3 promotes tyrosinase activity in the body, which triggers melanin production. This can eventually lead to re-pigmentation of the discoloured patches on the skin.
3. Which type of vitiligo spreads?
When discussing the types of vitiligo, the ones that spread more extensively are non-segmental and generalized vitiligo.
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