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Before Michael Jackson used this skin disease to explain his changing skin color many persons had never heard of vitiligo. It affects people of all skin color, but is most obvious in darker skinned individuals. Statistically, between one to two percent of the US population is affected. The condition generally develops between 20 and 40, but can occur at any age.
What is Vitiligo?
It is an autoimmune disease which results when the cells (melanocytes) responsible for skin color die or begin to malfunction. The most affected areas are the extremities such as fingers, around the eyes, nostrils, mouth and genital area. It also causes premature graying.
The two types of vitiligo are non-segmental and segmental. Persons with non-segmental vitiligo have patches widely distributed over their bodies. With the latter type, the patches do not spread as readily, if ever. The condition can be inherited, but most children of parents with vitiligo do not get the disease.
Can the Condition be Treated?
There is no cure for vitiligo, but some treatment options exist. Affected persons can slow down or improve the impact on skin’s pigmentation by:
• Using makeup to camouflage the affected area.
• Avoiding tanning or too much sun exposure especially for sufferers with fair skin.
• Topical creams which re-pigment the skin have been tested and shown to have some positive impact.
• Surgery and laser treatment are sometimes used to help treat the condition. This is rare, however, and is primarily experimental. Surgical intervention usually involves skin grafting. Tattooing is also used when the de-pigmentation is not too severe.
• Complete de-pigmentation. When the discoloration affects most of the skin, what remains of the original skin color can be removed. This process can take as little as six months to well over two years to be completed.
• Use of sunscreen, especially on lighter areas is recommended.
The treatment option depends on how much of the body is affected.
Many persons have lived and continue to live successful and happy lives with vitiligo. In fact, there are quite a few celebrities who have the condition, including The Cosby Show’s Tempestt Bledsoe and actor/comedian Joe Rogan.
