Vitiligo disease is a skin condition in which skin loss its pigment producing cells and shows white patches. It is a skin condition which affects both genders of no age & race limitation. The disease can be easily diagnosed by the appearance of white skin patches on different skin areas.
The symptoms of Vitiligo disease are the appearance of white skin patches, graying of hairs color, mucous membrane & retina of eye affectedness. Our skin contains special cells melanocytes, which produce melanin substances. Melanin cells acts as sunscreen and protects skin from sun rays. It also produces pigment cells that detect skin coloration. Absence of pigment cells or low productivity of melanin cells can cause skin discoloration. Due to this problem, skin loses its pigmentation and shows white patches. There is not systematic pattern of the appearance of white patches, as white patches can appear randomly and can be distribution in various patterns all over the body.
Vitiligo disease affects 40 to 50 million people in world wide which approximately makes 2 percent of whole world population. Its means that out of every 100 people one person is suffering from Vitiligo. Vitiligo disease is classified in following categories.
a) Generalized form of Vitiligo:
This type of vitiligo disease usually appears as symmetrical white patches on both sides of the body.
b) Segmental form of Vitiligo:
This type of vitiligo disease usually appears on one side of body, instead of covering whole body.
Focal Vitiligo: If one or more skin areas lose their pigment in a localized place, it is known as focal Vitiligo.
Mucosal Vitiligo: If vitiligo is limited only to mucosal membranes, it refers as mucosal vitiligo.
Acro-facial Vitiligo: In this category of vitiligo disease the depigmentation (white patches) appears on body parts such as face, head, hands, feet etc.
Vitiligo Vulgaris: in this form of vitiligo disease, white patches are appeared widely on all body areas.
Mixed Vitiligo: If more than one patterns of distribution are found in the same individual, like segmental and acro-facial, it is known as Mixed Vitiligo.
Vitiligo skin disease generally can appear in any stage of life but most people get indulge in this disease in the age of 35 to 45. The disease is more noticeable in colored skin people rather then whitish people.
With refer to depigmentation, vitiligo disease can also be appeared due to heredity, nutritious factors deficiency, physical illness, medication affects, sun exposure, auto immunity, thyroxin gland deficiency etc.
Luckily the vitiligo disease is not an infectious disease; it cannot be spread from person to person. The disease is incurable, according to American Vitiligo Research Foundation. Vitiligo treatment such as homeopathic treatment, photochemotherapy, oral or topical psoralen therapy, Ayurvedic treatment, skin transplantation, psychotherapy, skin grafting via blister etc helps patients either in the reproduction of melanin cells in skin or complete removal of melanin cells from the skin. The treatments help vitiligo patients to increase their skin sensitivity and protect their skin from sun light / rays.
