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Vitiligo is a common skin disease, usually not dangerous. However, because the disease is quite complicated, the treatment process for vitiligo is often long and the treatment methods can come with some unwanted side effects.
1. Vitiligo overview
1.1 What is Vitiligo? Vitiligo is a common skin disease that causes the skin to lose color in patches (usually the face, back of the hands and armpits). Vitiligo is not dangerous and is treatable. However, some types of vitiligo can continue to recur in the face and neck area. Vitiligo affects quite a lot of aesthetic factors. The disease is prone to chronic progression, the damage is worse in the summer and slightly reduced in the winter.
Vitiligo is divided into 2 types: localized and diffuse.
Localized form: Including point vitiligo, segmental vitiligo, mucosal form; Diffuse form: Includes polar form, common form, mixed form and generalized vitiligo.
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1.2 Symptoms of Vitiligo Small areas of skin lose color and pigmentation, becoming white; Skin patches with vitiligo are usually insensitive to the touch, do not cause pain, itching; Vitiligo skin patches vary in size, often spreading and forming larger, undefined patches of vitiligo; Patches of skin with vitiligo often appear symmetrically on both sides of the body; It is possible that the hair and hair in the vitiligo skin area also lose pigment. 1.3 Causes of Vitiligo The exact cause of vitiligo has not yet been determined. According to experts, the disease is the result of the disappearance of the type of skin cells that produce melanin (the pigment that determines skin color). It runs in families and is linked to autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune thyroiditis. It is more common in people with dark skin and usually occurs in people under the age of 20. This is a skin disease, completely not contagious to people around.
2. Treatment methods and side effects of vitiligo treatment
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Vitiligo progression is difficult to predict. Sometimes the vitiligo patches will localize on their own, without treatment. In most of the remaining cases, patches of depigmentation will spread. Since the exact cause of the disease is still unknown, there is no specific treatment for vitiligo.
There are many symptomatic treatments for vitiligo, and response rates depend on the individual patient. Disease treatments can also come with some side effects. Specifically:
2.1 Using drugs Doctors can prescribe patients to use a group of drugs that increase sensitivity to systemic or local light such as meladinine, melagenina, combined with step-by-step ultraviolet irradiation. long or short waves at the site of vitiligo lesions. The drug is indicated for patients 12 years of age and older. Side effects of the drug are loss of appetite, increased liver enzymes, jaundice or red, burning vitiligo patches. Therefore, it is necessary to use additional anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and immunosuppressive drugs.
Topical corticosteroids combined with other treatments including CO2 laser, narrow-spectrum UVB, vitamin D3 derivatives, etc. are suitable treatment options for localized cases of vitiligo. The drug has some undesirable side effects such as allergic contact dermatitis, burning, peeling, dry skin, hypopigmentation, hirsutism, folliculitis, stretch marks, cataracts, acne. , white spots due to vasoconstriction, skin atrophy, ... should be limited to children and should not be used for more than 2 months.
Oral sunscreen: Vitiligo patients have a reduced number of pigment cells, so their ability to protect the body against sun damage is reduced. Therefore, in addition to using topical sunscreen, it is necessary to use oral sunscreen to avoid the risk of sunburn in hypopigmented skin.
2.2 Other methods
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Skin pigment cell transplant: A surgical method to bring pigment cells from healthy skin to vitiligo skin. This method requires high cost and technique. If the implementation fails, it can leave scars, infection, cause abnormal skin pigmentation, stone appearance,...; Cosmetic tattoo: Can disguise vitiligo spots, is a suitable treatment option for people with mucosal vitiligo but side effects should be considered; Depigmentation: For patients with large and difficult-to-treat vitiligo patches, a chemical or physical de-pigmentation method can be selected. Ethyl monobenzone ester (MBEH) is used for treatment. How to use is to use MBEH 20% to apply on pigmented skin 2-3 times / day, avoiding too much exposure to the sun. Pigmentation may occur after 1 - 4 months of treatment. If after 4 months of treatment there is no effect, the drug should be stopped. When the desired degree of depigmentation is achieved, maintain MBEH only twice a week.
2.3 Change of lifestyle
Maintaining an active, scientific lifestyle can help limit the progression of vitiligo. Specifically:Use sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 in areas with vitiligo; Wear hats and long clothes when going out in the sun; Contact your doctor if you develop new symptoms such as redness or blistering, as medications for the condition can cause side effects. Vitiligo is a benign skin disease and can occur at any age. The treatment of the disease is a long process, with many potential side effects, so it is necessary to have a good coordination between the patient and the doctor. Patients should also stay optimistic and comfortable to avoid making the disease worse.
Periodic health check-ups help to detect diseases early, so that there are treatment plans for optimal results. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has general health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with a reasonable price policy.
The patient's examination results will be returned to the home. After receiving the results of the general health examination, if you detect diseases that require intensive examination and treatment, you can use services from other specialties at the Hospital with quality treatment and services. outstanding customer service.
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