How Is Vitiligo Treated?
Vitiligo treatment is aimed at stopping the spread of depigmentation and repigmenting areas of skin where color has been lost. A number of treatments exist. The choice of treatment depends on the spread and variance of the disease and access and preference of treatment for both patient and physician. Some treatments are not right for everyone. Many treatments can have unwanted side effects, can take a long time, and sometimes they don’t work. Current treatment options for vitiligo include medical, surgical, and other treatments. Most treatments are aimed at restoring color to the white patches of skin. Medical treatments include: • Topical medicines (such as steroid creams) that you put on the skin • Light treatment using oral psoralen medicine plus ultraviolet A (UVA) light (PUVA) or specific wavelengths of ultraviolet B (broadband or narrowband UVB) • Removing the color from other areas so they match the white patches (Dipigmentation). Surgical treatments include: • Skin grafts from
