Conditions

Vitiligo Symptoms and Treatment

If you have always thought vitiligo was a skin condition you would have to live with forever, think again. We are proud to offer customized treatments for vitiligo that can minimize patches of skin depigmented by vitiligo.

Vitiligo

Vitiligo Symptoms

Vitiligo is a skin disease that causes the skin to lose its color in blotches. It occurs when the cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning. The reason why these cells stop functioning or die is unknown to doctors at this time, but we do know that vitiligo is not life-threatening or contagious.

Typically, the depigmented patches of skin appear first on sun-exposed areas, such as the backs of hands or tops of feet. It is also common for vitiligo to appear on the arms, face and lips.

In addition to patchy skin, vitiligo can also cause premature whitening or graying of the hair on the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes or beard. It can also lead to loss of color in the tissues that line the inside of your mouth. Depending on the type of vitiligo you have, the blotchy patches of skin may cover many parts of your body (generalized vitiligo), a few areas of your body (focal vitiligo) or only one side or a part of your body (segmented vitiligo).

How Vitiligo Treatment Works

While vitiligo has no cure, it is highly treatable thanks to the latest advancements in skin resurfacing therapy and topical immunomodulators.

Topical Immunomodulators

Available as an ointment, Topical Immunomodulators are applied directly to the affected areas of skin once or twice a day and may begin to take effect within a few months. If effective, they are usually part of our patient’s long-term vitiligo treatment plan.

Life After Vitiligo Treatment

Even though vitiligo is not contagious or life-threatening, it can still be a debilitating disease due to emotional and psychological effects. Particularly in patients where their vitiligo appears on the face, neck, hands or genitals, it can cause emotional stress regardless of race or cultural background. At Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meeting, we want to help erase this stress from your life by helping you reverse your vitiligo. You no longer have to feel embarrassed, ashamed or depressed about your vitiligo—treatments are fast, painless and effective.

Schedule your appointment at Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meeting at 610.828.0400 to learn more about how to start vitiligo treatment. We are eager to use our cutting-edge treatments to help you achieve the skin of your dreams.