What is Vitiligo: What are the white spots

What is Vitiligo: What are the white spots
Causes
Treatment
Surgery
General information
Means of treatment

General information about vitiligo

General information about vitiligo - diagnosis and treatment

Vitiligo - a disease associated with the violation of pigmentation in certain areas of the skin. Vitiligo is a chronic skin disease that occurs as a result of the disappearance of the pigment melanin Which foods contain melanin - skin care Responsible for skin color. The disappearance of melanin causing white spots occurring on any parts of the body including an internal cavity of the mouth. The hair in the affected areas of the skin discolored.

Vitiligo does not depend on gender or race and affects 1-2% of the population; the disease is not contagious and does not cause the patient unpleasant or painful sensations, being more a cosmetic problem. Presumably, the appearance of vitiligo is associated with neuro-endocrine disorders under the age of 40 years.

Causes of vitiligo

The exact cause of vitiligo is unknown, but it is believed that most of the victims of the disease are people with autoimmune diseases. Factors that may affect the progression of the disease can be transferred infections, stress, physical injury, chronic diseases of internal organs.

In some cases, vitiligo proceeds differently, extending to different areas of skin. In most cases, the development of vitiligo occurs gradually, but in some patients the loss of melanin skin cells occurs very rapidly.

Diagnostics

Diagnosing Vitiligo begins with a physical examination of the patient and the analysis of family history, important to identify genetic diseases character, family history and so on. A sample of the damaged cells of the skin is examined for the presence or absence of the pigment melanin.

Symptoms

The first and main symptom of vitiligo - white spots or pigmentation disorders of the skin. Most often discolored spots appear on the skin, the most exposed to sunlight - on the hands, arms, legs, face, lips. White spots can appear anywhere on the skin.

Depending on the spread of depigmentation of vitiligo is divided into several types:

Total stage: struck almost all the skin with a few exceptions.
Overall image: the most common type of vitiligo, depigmentation of the skin in which the spread evenly throughout the body.
Local pattern: depigmentation is limited to a certain area or several zones.
Segmental pattern: depigmentation in the form of separate spots spread on one side of the body.

White stains due to vitiligo, characterized by a three-phase structure - the central region of the spot has a milky white color, and the surrounding areas characterized by lower levels of depigmentation.

White spots on the skin - is not the only symptom of vitiligo: in some cases there may be an inflammation and irritation of the skin. Furthermore, the consequence may be vitiligo premature graying of the hair Hair: structure, characteristics of growth and development .

Treatment

There is a widespread view that it is impossible to cure vitiligo. In fact, modern treatment methods allow to achieve substantial progress, and even a complete cure of the disease. The most effective treatments for vitiligo are:

Photochemotherapy: receiving medical preparations stimulating melanogenesis in combination with ultraviolet irradiation of the skin on which depigmentation observed growth stimulating melanocytes.
Phototherapy: UV exposure without taking drugs. To reduce the risk photodermatitis complex therapy of patients suffering from vitiligo involves intake of antioxidants.
Phytotherapy: rubbing in skin exposed depigmentation, juice of herbs: parsnips, figs, strawberries, red peppers.

Vitiligo patients is recommended as little as possible in the sun. A few simple steps will help protect the damaged skin against sunburn How to protect your skin from sunburn? :

Protective cream or lotion to the level of UV protection SPF 45
Avoiding exposure to the sun at midday
Protective clothing and hats
Cosmetics, hides damaged skin