Symptoms
Vitiligo occurs in about 1% or slightly more of the population throughout the world. Vitiligo affects all races and genders equally; however, it is more visible in people with darker skin. Although vitiligo can develop in anyone at any age, it most commonly appears in people ages 10 to 30 years.
Causes
Vitiligo affects all races and genders equally; however, it is more visible in people with darker skin. Although vitiligo can develop in anyone at any age, it most commonly appears in people ages 10 to 30 years. Vitiligo rarely appears in the very young or very old. What causes vitiligo?
Complications
Depigmentation therapy with the drug monobenzone can be used if the disease is extensive. This medication is applied to pigmented patches of skin and will turn them white to match the areas of vitiligo. Corticosteroids can be taken orally (as a pill) or topically (as a cream put on the skin). Results may take up to 3 months.
What is the rate of incidence of vitiligo?
Vitiligo: Overview. But vitiligo can be life-altering. Some people develop low self-esteem. They may no longer want to hang out with friends. They can develop serious depression. Most people have vitiligo for life, so it’s important to develop coping strategies. A coping strategy that helps many people is to learn about vitiligo.
Can you get vitiligo at any age?
What are the treatment options for vitiligo?
Is vitiligo life-altering?
How close are we to a vitiligo cure?
It's unlikely we'll have a cure for vitiligo, but there are promising treatment options currently being studied. You can find information on clinical trials here. The treatment that holds the biggest hope is the biologic anti-IL-15 monoclonal antibody, currently in clinical trials.
Are they working on a cure for vitiligo?
Thus far, there is no cure for vitiligo. But new hope is on the horizon, thanks to recent research that is improving our understanding of the pathways involved in this condition and potential new ways to treat it.
What percentage of population has vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a common disorder, affecting between 0.5 percent and 1 percent of the population worldwide.
Why is there no treatment for vitiligo?
If we are going to eventually find a cure for vitiligo (and better treatments in the meantime), we need to learn a lot more about the cells and their proteins that cause it so that we can find drugs that turn off the critical pathways that drive it, but aren't required for normal functioning of the immune system.
Has anyone recovered from vitiligo?
There is no cure for vitiligo. The goal of medical treatment is to create a uniform skin tone by either restoring color (repigmentation) or eliminating the remaining color (depigmentation). Common treatments include camouflage therapy, repigmentation therapy, light therapy and surgery.
Is there any hope for vitiligo?
Vitiligo is treated using topical prescription medications (including anti-inflammatory agents and vitamin D creams), meticulous sun protection, and narrow-band UVB phototherapy treatments. In extreme cases, when only a small patch of dark skin remains, that area can be lightened (depigmented) with special chemicals.
Which country has most vitiligo?
Conclusion. A relatively high prevalence of vitiligo was found in Africa area and in female patients. The prevalence has maintained at a low level in recent years. It showed an inverse trend with age increment in population- or community-based studies and hospital-based studies.
Can you donate blood vitiligo?
According to the World Health Organization, patients with Vitiligo may donate blood, as long as they disclose whatever medications they are on and none of them are on the banned list. As it is clear that vitiligo is not a blood borne or contagious disease so it is of no worry if such a person donate blood.
Can I pass vitiligo to my child?
Vitiligo is never contagious — kids can't "catch" it from someone else.
Is vitiligo curable at early stage?
Vitiligo has no cure. But treatment might stop or slow the discoloring process and return some color to your skin. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.
Does vitiligo ever stop spreading?
Without treatment, vitiligo usually continues to spread in the 3-6 months following its initial appearance. It may then stop spreading (in remission) for months or years, but unfortunately after some time, relapses again with further extension.
What is the fastest way to cure vitiligo?
TherapiesLight therapy. Phototherapy with narrow band ultraviolet B (UVB) has been shown to stop or slow the progression of active vitiligo. ... Combining psoralen and light therapy. ... Removing the remaining color (depigmentation).
What are the different types of vitiligo?
What are the types of vitiligo? Vitiligo can be: Generalized, which is the most common type, when macules appear in various places on the body. Segmental, which is restricted to one side of the body or one area, such as the hands or face. Mucosal, which affects mucous membranes of the mouth and/or the genitals.
How old is vitiligo?
Although vitiligo can develop in anyone at any age, it most commonly appears in people ages 10 to 30 years. Vitiligo rarely appears in the very young or very old.
What is vitiligo on the face?
What is vitiligo? Vitiligo ( vit-il-EYE-go) is a skin disorder that causes the skin to lose its color. Smooth white areas (called macules if less than 5mm or patches if 5mm or larger) appear on a person’s skin. If you have vitiligo in a place that has hair, the hair on your body may also turn white. The condition occurs when melanocytes (the skin ...
How does vitiligo affect people?
Vitiligo can cause psychological distress and has the ability to affect a person’s outlook and social interactions. If this happens, your caregiver may suggest that you find a counselor or attend a support group.
Why do people with vitiligo feel embarrassed?
Sometimes people are rude – they may stare or say unkind things. This could cause a person with vitiligo to develop low self-esteem. This in turn could create anxiety or depression issues and make someone want to isolate.
Where does vitiligo start?
Vitiligo typically begins on the hands, forearms, feet, and face but can develop on any part of the body, including the mucous membranes (moist lining of the mouth, nose, genital, and rectal areas), the eyes, and inner ears.
Is vitiligo a disease?
People with vitiligo may be more likely to get other autoimmune diseases (in which the body’s immune system causes it to attack itself), such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, pernicious anemia, Addison’s disease, and alopecia areata. Also, people with autoimmune diseases are more at risk for developing vitiligo.
How many people are affected by vitiligo?
The total number of people suffering from vitiligo is estimated at around 65-95 million people worldwide. However, the actual number may be much higher because vitiligo is an underreported disease.
When does vitiligo start?
About half of vitiligo cases begin in childhood, often popping up in springtime without warning. Children with vitiligo may have a higher chance of developing other autoimmune diseases, such as alopecia areata, diabetes mellitus, pernicious anemia, Addison's disease and thyroid disorder.
How long does it take for vitiligo to go away?
The average remission period after successful treatment of active vitiligo is four years.
What is vitiligo hair loss?
Vitiligo (pronounced vit-ill-EYE-go) is a generally unpredictable skin disease that causes a gradual loss of skin color and overlying hair on different parts of the body. Contrary to popular belief, vitiligo is not a cosmetic disorder but a systemic disease affecting the largest body organ and other vital systems.
How do you know if you have vitiligo?
Vitiligo signs vary considerably from person to person. It is more pronounced in people with dark or tanned skin. Some may only acquire a handful of white spots that develop no further. Others develop larger lesions that join together and cover significant areas of the skin.
Is vitiligo a segmental or focal type?
Autoimmune mechanisms likely underlie generalized vitiligo, while a more localized phenomenon may be responsible for segmental or focal type. Vitiligo may also develop at the site of physical skin trauma – this is known as the 'Koebner phenomenon.'.
What are the causes of vitiligo?
Parasites and chronic gastritis that impair absorption of vital elements by the digestive system may also indirectly cause vitiligo. Chemical triggers include materials with: p-phenylenediamine (also known as para-phenylene diamine or PPD), para-tertiary butylphenol (PTBP), and. monobenzylether of hydroquinone (MBH),
What is the treatment for vitiligo?
New treatments for vitiligo may be on the horizon. Recently, several exciting studies have looked at a class of medications called JAK inhibitors as a possible new treatment option. JAK inhibitors target a type of immune communication pathway that has not been targeted before in vitiligo.
Why do people with vitiligo need psychosocial support?
Patients may struggle with self-esteem or depression, and they often have to deal with social stigma, due to misunderstanding about the contagiousness of the condition. As a result, people with vitiligo typically benefit from psychosocial support in addition to medical treatment.
What is vitiligo in the body?
Body attacks cells responsible for producing skin’s pigment. Vitiligo is generally thought to be an autoimmune disease , in which a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own body (in this case, it attacks melanocytes). In addition, the melanocytes of people with vitiligo appear unable to deal with the imbalance of antioxidants ...
What is light therapy?
Light therapy is often used in combination with topical medications that are applied to the skin. Topical treatments include topical steroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors (such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus), or topical vitamin D analogues (such as calcipotriol and tacalcitol).
Is vitiligo a waste of money?
Most people with the disease today will likely be dead by the time any real cure or even just an effective treatment to reverse it is produced. Most of the research grants for vitiligo research have been a waste of money thus far, in terms of producing reliable treatments for real patients.
Is vitiligo covered by insurance?
For now, because they are still considered off-label by the FDA for use in vitiligo, these drugs are rarely covered by insurance for the treatment of vitiligo, and therefore can be quite expensive.
Is there a cure for vitiligo?
Particularly frustrating to many is its unpredictable progression, which can be slow or rapid. Thus far, there is no cure for vitiligo.
How many people are affected by vitiligo?
Globally about 1% of people are affected by vitiligo. In some populations it affects as many as 2–3%. Males and females are equally affected. About half show the disorder before age 20 and most develop it before age 40.
What is the treatment for vitiligo?
Treatment. Sunscreen, makeup, topical corticosteroids, phototherapy. Frequency. 1% of people. Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment. The patches of skin affected become white and usually have sharp margins. The hair from the skin may also become white.
What is the first line of vitiligo treatment?
Topical preparations of immune suppressing medications including glucocorticoids (such as 0.05% clobetasol or 0.10% betamethasone) and calcineurin inhibitors (such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus) are considered to be first-line vitiligo treatments.
Why is vitiligo more noticeable in dark skin?
The exact cause of vitiligo is unknown. It is believed to be due to genetic susceptibility that is triggered by an environmental factor such that an autoimmune disease occurs .
How do you know if you have vitiligo?
Signs and symptoms. The only sign of vitiligo is the presence of pale patchy areas of depigmented skin which tend to occur on the extremities. Some people may experience itching before a new patch occurs. The patches are initially small, but often grow and change shape.
What are the areas of the body that are affected by vitiligo?
The loss of skin pigmentation is particularly noticeable around body orifices, such as the mouth, eyes, nostrils, genitalia and umbilicus. Some lesions have increased skin pigment around the edges. Those affected by vitiligo who are stigmatized for their condition may experience depression and similar mood disorders.
When was vitiligo first described?
Descriptions of a disease believed to be vitiligo date back to a passage in the medical text Ebers Papyrus c. 1500 BCE in ancient Egypt. Mentions of whitening of the skin were also present circa 1400 BCE in sacred Indian texts such as Atharvaveda as well as Shinto prayers in East Asia c. 1200 BCE. The Hebrew word " Tzaraath " from the Old Testament book of Leviticus dating to 1280 BCE (or 1312 BCE) described a group of skin diseases associated with white spots, and a subsequent translation to Greek led to continued conflation of those with vitiligo with leprosy and spiritual uncleanliness.
How many people have vitiligo?
Vitiligo affects the immune system which then affects the skin, resulting in white patches. 70 million people across the world have vitiligo. There are no boundaries of race, ethnicity or gender. Anyone—children and adults representing all ethnicities— can get vitiligo at any time. 20-35% of patients are children.
Is vitiligo hard to hide?
Vitiligo is difficult to hide. This disease is misunderstood and the isolation people with vitiligo feel can be crippling. Psychologically devastating, many patients feel isolated and devastated by its impact on their relationships and personal and professional lives. There is no known cure.
Is vitiligo covered by insurance?
There is very little research funding for vitiligo to better understand the disease and develop new treatments. Many of the currently available treatments are not covered by insurance. Various treatments, including topical creams and light therapy, can help some patients. More treatments and research are needed.
How many people have vitiligo?
Answer: Worldwide, it is estimated that between 0.5% and 2% of the population has vitiligo with most studies and resources stating 1%. Vitiligo tends to first appear in patients around 20 years of age but can start at any age and is a lifelong condition.
Is vitiligo higher in older people?
Therefore, the percentage of older populations with vitiligo is higher than other age groups. Vitiligo occurs equally across race and gender. Some studies indicate that vitiligo percentages increase in areas closer to the equator and in Africa.
