Vitiligo is a relatively rare skin condition, affecting an estimated one per cent of the global population. White patches of skin are the major symptom of vitiligo, which may spread to cover considerable portions of the whole body. This illness is particularly annoying when it affects conspicuous skin regions, such as the face.
Vitiligo is caused by dysfunctional melanocytes, which are the skin cells responsible for creating melanin, the main skin pigment. When melanocytes are disabled and melanin synthesis ceases, the skin loses its colour and becomes white.
Doctors and researchers are still uncertain as to the precise aetiology of vitiligo. They are aware that hereditary factors contribute to vulnerability. They also think that vitiligo is or may be an auto immune illness, which means that your body’s immune system assaults and destroys your melanocytes, resulting in vitiligo.
Since physicians are uncertain about the aetiology, the majority of therapy options include symptom management. There are a number of therapies that may be done to try to restore melanin synthesis by your melanocytes.
One therapy consists of transplanting healthy skin (with functional melanocytes) onto the afflicted regions. Other procedures include stimulating the patient’s melanocytes using UV radiation. A laser is one of the most promising therapy methods for stimulating melanocytes. This approach yields good outcomes with few adverse effects.
There are other natural treatments for vitiligo, including herbal and homoeopathic remedies. Both herbal and homoeopathic treatments entail seeking to treat the underlying causes of the condition, often involving the immune system, digestive system, liver, and kidneys, as well as utilising topical medications to treat the skin.
However, the reality is that there is no treatment for vitiligo. There are treatments for treating the symptoms, but there is no cure for addressing and eliminating the underlying causes.