Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a skin condition that causes pigment loss, causing the skin to appear lighter than the original skin tone. In affected areas, the hair on the body may turn silver or white, and the patches may spread across the body. The condition occurs due to a loss of the body’s melanocytes, which give the body a certain pigmentation since they produce melanin.

Severity

Vitiligo is not life-threatening but may lead to self-consciousness.Additionally, the disease ranges on a scale from 100% depigmentation, when the skin has no color, to 10% depigmentation, when only parts of the skin are decolored.

Affected Demographic

Vitiligo affects a wide range of people, usually before the age of 30, and is more visible in people with darker skin tones. People with certain diseases, such as thyroid and addison’s, may be at higher risk of developing the skin disease.

Treatment

Though no exact cure is known for vitiligo, treatment options are available and seeing a dermatologist is crucial. A certified doctor may use a specific lamp called a Wood’s lamp that uses UV light to help identify the disease. Then, once the development of the disease is confirmed, a doctor may prescribe medications, light therapy, depigmentation therapy, surgery, and/or counseling. In these ways, the vitiligo disease can be combated, but a perfect cure is not yet known.

Sources

1. Ray, Markqayne, et al. “Diagnosed Prevalence and Incidence of Vitiligo in the United States: Analysis of Employer-Sponsored Insurance Claims.” JID Innovations : Skin Science from Molecules to Population Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 24 Mar. 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10186599/#:~:text=Summary,(hospital%2Dbased%20studies).

2. “Vitiligo: Types, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Recovery.” Cleveland Clinic, 1 May 2024, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12419-vitiligo.