It is estimated that vitiligo affects at least six million people worldwide. It is characterized by skin depigmentation, and the patient is prone to developing white patches on different body parts. It is vital for people suffering from this skin disorder and also for individuals who have friends or close ones with vitiligo. To get straight to the point, this blog will focus on vital information about vitiligo causes, symptoms, and vitiligo types.
Vitiligo Causes
The skin doctors in Delhi say that the cause of vitiligo is unknown; nevertheless, scientists have found several possibilities that could have triggered this disease. Among all the causes of vitiligo, one of the leading apparent causes is an autoimmune response. Autoimmune diseases result when the body’s immune system begins attacking the body’s healthy cells. In the case of vitiligo, the body’s immune system directs an attack on the melanocyte cells, which are responsible for producing melanin, skin pigment.
It is also essential to indicate that hereditary predisposition can also become one of the causes of the development of vitiligo. Research has also stated that people with a family history of vitiligo or any other autoimmune disorders are at higher risk of getting the skin disease. They found that Caucasian vitiligo patients were significantly more likely to develop autoimmune thyroid disease compared to controls, implying that vitiligo’s presence may be inherited in some families as a trait.
According to dermatologists in Delhi, environmental factors can also be classified as vitiligo causes. Some precipitating causes primarily associated with vitiligo include severe sunburn, Industrial chemicals, and High stress. These factors may cause oxidative stress, destroying melanocytes and resulting in white patches on the skin.
Symptoms of Vitiligo
Identifying signs of vitiligo to diagnose the condition as early as possible is noteworthy. The first and the most observable sign is that the skin becomes lined with white patches. These patches can develop at any part of the body. Still, they can be seen on parts of the body that may be most often exposed to the sun, such as skin areas in the face, neck, hands, and arms. The patches of skin affected by vitiligo may begin as tiny and then grow more significant over time.
However, other symptoms of vitiligo can include impairing skin color together with early grey hair on the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard. This is because vitiligo also affects melanocytes in hair follicles, making hair progressively depigmented. This process is also accompanied by disturbances in the retinal pigmentation, which may result in alterations in the color of the inner layer of the eye called the retina; such a change, however, is not reflected in vision.
However, it is pertinent to consider the psychological status of the disease as another aspect of the symptoms of vitiligo. It is embarrassing and thus affects the emotional status of the disease, self-esteem, and anxiety in sociable persons. These psychological problems should be addressed by men and women with vitiligo by seeking medical help, patients’ associations, and relatives.
Types of Vitiligo
Vitiligo has different subtypes, each characterized by the distribution of the depigmented skin areas. Knowledge about these types would enrich the diagnostic procedure and subsequent treatment plan creation.
Generalized Vitiligo: This is the most frequent form of vitiligo in which white patches are spread randomly on different body parts. The patches are often oval in shape and equal in size and may be located on both the body’s right and left sides of the body.
Segmental Vitiligo: Consequently, segmental vitiligo only occurs in one segment of the body or only on one side of the body. It starts at a younger age and may remain active for a year or two before reaching a plateau. This type is less frequent and is associated with a good prognosis if treated in the early stages.
Focal Vitiligo: Focal vitiligo is clinically defined as a disease in which the affected body part is covered with one or a few small circular patches. It does not affect as many people as does the generalized vitiligo, and it is considered comparatively unusual.
Mucosal Vitiligo: Skin specialists in Delhi define this type as impacting some of the body’s skin-shedding areas, including the lips, mouth, and genital areas. It is a painful condition that requires orthopedic treatment.
Trichome Vitiligo: In trichome vitiligo, the patches of depigmentation are surrounded by the area of slightly depigmented skin, giving it a tricolor look. This type can be more challenging to treat than the other types because of the differences in pigment changes usually shown by the patients.
Universal Vitiligo is the most severe form, in which 80% of the body’s skin surface exhibits depigmentation. It is associated with loss of skin pigmentation and is very extensive in its management and treatment.
Best Vitiligo Treatment in Delhi
Consequently, vitiligo is a rather intricate condition with many possible causes, manifestations, and subtypes. Knowing the causes of vitiligo can help establish specific ways of avoiding worsening symptoms in affected individuals. Knowing the signs of vitiligo is necessary to address the condition in the early stages. Last but not least, awareness of the various vitiligo types will help create effective treatments for a person’s condition.
Vitiligo can affect a person’s life in many ways, but with proper encouragement and knowledge, people can cope and live everyday lives. Any person affected by vitiligo should consult with the best skin doctors in Delhi, such as Dr. Gaurav Garg from DermaLife, or support groups and communities to manage this journey optimistically.
