Vitiligo is a chronic skin condition characterized by white patches on the skin, and is more apparent in those with a darker skin tone.
In vitiligo the pigment producing melanocytes are destroyed by the immune system. This causes the skin to lack melanin, which is responsible for the tone of our skin. Depigmented patches can appear anywhere on the body, and their size and distribution vary.
Vitiligo will cause changes in your appearance, and can make a person feel stressed or self-conscious. These feelings are common and understandable, and our team is always ready to help. We will help you cope with vitiligo by helping you learn about your condition and providing you with the best treatment options. With our comprehensive experience treating various skin conditions, you can rely on our dermatologists for the correct information and care.
We will conduct a thorough examination and diagnosis, and then you will receive our professional recommendation for vitiligo treatment.
Your specific treatment depends on a wide range of factors, including age, hereditary factors, location of the pigmentation changes, and how quickly the disease progresses. We will also discuss how vitiligo is affecting your life, and mitigation or coping strategies.
Medications and light-based therapies are available to help restore skin colour or even skin tone, although it’s important to note that results will vary.
We care about our patients and believe the correct information is key. Our clinicians and dermatologists take the time to discuss every aspect, including our diagnosis, treatment plan, medications, and side effects.
While no drug can stop the process of vitiligo, a combination of topical medications with light therapy may be able to restore some natural pigmentation in trouble areas.
It’s also important to note that even if specific treatments are successful for a period of time, results may not last. New patches of discolouration may appear, and your dermatologist will address your concerns and advise on next steps.
The loss of pigment cells cannot be stopped, but we can help restore some colour through specific medications that control inflammation or positively affect your immune system. Applying a corticosteroid cream to the affected skin, for example, might return colour; while light therapy can stop or slow down the progression of active vitiligo. In either case, your dermatologist will closely monitor your skin’s conditions and changes over time.
Our dermatologists will also discuss your lifestyle and home remedies—individuals with vitiligo must continually care for their skin to improve its appearance.
Our clinical trial department is very interested in running trials to test new and innovative treatments for vitiligo. A clinical trial is an experiment to determine the safety and effectiveness of an investigational treatment. There are two primary reasons to consider participating in a clinical trial.
If your vitiligo has resisted standard treatment options, you might be interested in trying something that is currently in development. This is the best way for people to get access to the newest treatment options at no cost.
Participating in a clinical trial helps advance scientific knowledge on treatment options, which can help others who suffer from the same condition by moving along development on new treatments.
If you would like to participate in a clinical trial for vitiligo, please click here to see our current listings, or call us at # 647-202-6393
