Can Vitiligo Be Cured?

Vitiligo is a skin disease and it is incurable. Vitiligo is a chronic condition and there is no way to prevent it. Treatment can only restore pigment and prevent depigmentation from affecting more skin. The most effective way to prevent depigmentation and damage is to protect yourself from sun exposure. Treatment also helps to manage symptoms and stops the worsening condition.

What is Vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a skin condition that causes areas of skin to lose color resulting in white patches on the skin. It hugely affects your appearance and confidence.

The discolored areas usually get bigger with time. This condition may affect the skin on any part of your body. It can also occur in your hair and the inside of your mouth.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which your immune cells attack the body’s healthy tissues by mistake, instead of viruses or bacteria. It is also linked to several conditions. Vitiligo affects people with all types of skin. But it may be more noticeable in dark-skinned people. However, vitiligo is not life-threatening or contagious, but it affects your self-esteem.

Symptoms of Vitiligo
The signs and symptoms of vitiligo are:

• Patchy loss of skin color, which usually first appears on the hands, face, and areas around body openings and the genitals
• Premature whitening or graying of the hair on your scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, or beard
• Loss of color in the tissues that line the inside of the mouth and nose (mucous membranes)

Vitiligo can occur at any age but usually happens within the age of 30.

Causes of Vitiligo
Vitiligo happens when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) die or stop producing melanin. The pigment that provides your skin, hair, and eyes color. The affected area of the skin becomes lighter or white.

The exact cause of vitiligo is yet unclear but certain factors may be related to:

• An autoimmune disorder.
• Hereditary.
• Trigger factors, like stress, severe sunburn, or skin trauma, such as contact with a chemical.

Risk Factors
Vitiligo may increase the risk of:

• Social or psychological distress
• Sunburn
• Eye problems
• Hearing loss

Treatment for Vitiligo
Treatment for vitiligo can help to restore the color of affected skin. But it won't prevent continued loss of skin color or a recurrence. Consult a doctor when your skin, hair, or mucous membranes start losing color. It has no cure but treatment might slow the discoloring process and return some color to your skin.

You can also opt for alternative treatments like homeopathy and Ayurveda to prevent yourself from side effects.