24 Best Vitiligo Treatment Doctors In Ernakulam

In vitiligo a person suffers from loss of skin pigments resulting in white patches over the skin. Drugs like corticosteroids, topicals containing immunomodulators like tacrolimus and pimecrolimus can help restore skin colour along with therapies like PUVA, light treatment, depigmentation (to remove the colour permanently); surgeries like skin grafting, blister grafting, and melanocyte transplant.

The cause is unknown, but it can be due to autoimmune disorder or viruses. Earlier it was known that vitiligo has no cure, but recent researches have shown that a combination of treatments can return colour to the skin. One of the new treatments is a combination of an oral medication named tofacitinib with the UV-B light therapy and also surgical treatments have proven to be successful.

The treatment period varies depending on the type of treatment the patient is going to receive. PUVA therapy takes at least 12 months to work; corticosteroids, medical ointments take about 6 months; depigmentation takes 6-12 months; and light treatment takes 2-8 months to show effects whereas surgical procedures are much quicker to show impact, but if successful requires a long time to heal.

New surgery techniques like skin or cell graft where the top layer of depigmented skin is removed and skin rich in melanocytes from different parts of the body is transplanted there, which after a few months starts producing pigments. Surgeries like skin grafts, blister grafts, punch grafts, melanocyte transplants, cellular grafts are found to be successful in treating vitiligo in a short time.

Home remedies that can help with vitiligo include rubbing papaya over the affected skin, a mixture of red clay and ginger juice; applying sunscreen, drinking water from a copper vessel, stress management, eating basil leaves, walnuts, mustard, foods high in zinc, turmeric, etc.