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Vitiligo Skin Pigment Disorder Explained

Filed Under Eczema Treatment, Skin Diseases

Vitiligo skin pigment disorder is a disfiguring and hence extremely traumatising condition. Pigment cells (melanocytes) in the skin are destroyed, causing the skin to turn ashen white. The pigment loss occurs in patches, but not over the whole body. These patches can most often be found in body openings (like the eyes), body folds (as in the armpits or groin), or exposed areas (such as the face and hands).

The skin begins to fade around the orifices, particularly the mouth, nostrils and ears, and progresses to cover wider areas. Vitiligo skin pigment disorder may start on the fingers or toes. Your hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, facial and body hair may become prematurely grey or white. Dark-skinned people may notice a loss of colour inside their mouths.

It may seem contagious, but it is not. It can also affect a person at any age. The average age of onset is 19 years among males and 24 years in females.

The cause of vitiligo skin pigment disorder is still unknown, though there is no shortage of theories trying to explain the process of pigment loss. These theories have cited reasons such as sunburn, emotional shock, Addison’s disease, pernicious anaemia, alopecia areata, and autoimmune problems. Heredity also appear to be a factor.

Recent discoveries show that emotional stress can account for the many cases of vitiligo skin pigment disorder. The skins of vitiligo patients have been found with high levels of hydrogen peroxide, a natural by-product of melanin production, and low levels of catalase, an enzyme which neutralises it. The elevated hydrogen peroxide, in turn, is due to an overproduction of monamine oxidase in the skin, the same chemical associated with depression in the brain. Stress to the immune system may also trigger the condition, occuring when body produces antibodies that kill the melanocytes.

Treatment for vitiligo skin pigment disorder aims to restore pigmentation. The process can range from a period of six to eighteen months. Response to treatment varies with each person, and no single medicine or herbal treatment works uniformly on everyone. Vitiligo renders the skin more sensitive to sunlight, but most drugs and herbal treatments require controlled exposures of affected skin to ultraviolet light, under a doctor’s supervision.

Sometimes, special cover creams are prescribed, for application to the white patches on the face. These can be cosmetically effective and can help you to regain self-confidence. The downside is creams rub off on clothing, take a great deal of time to apply. Also, you will need to apply the creams daily. Herbs such as dong quai, licorice, khella, psoralea and St. John’s wort have shown benefits for those suffering from vitiligo skin pigment disorder.