Vitiligo

There are over a thousand entities in dermatology; it is difficult to understand all in just a few pages. We are going to describe a few common skin problems. This is purely educational; if you have a skin disease, please consult your dermatologist.

Vitiligo is an auto-immune disease targeting our skin pigment, meaning our immune system wrongly regard the pigment as foreign, and start destroying them. As our pigment becomes less and less in amount, the skin will appear white and devoid of pigment. We are still not entirely certain of the reasons that cause vitiligo.

Vitiligo affects 1-2% of the population, the majority of them start at an early age. About 30% of sufferers have a positive family history. Vitiligo commonly affects the face, neck and head; it is also seen on the hands, around the nipple and genitals. If the scalp is affected, the hair may also turn white in colour.

Vitiligo is distressing because it affects our look. Some of us who do not understand vitiligo may regard it as a contagious disease. Such a view often further damages the self-esteem of the patient. The management includes blood test to see if the patient has other co-existing auto-immune disease. Treatment may include prescription of concealants together with topical medication. Photochemotherapy (PUVA) and excimer laser are also beneficial.

For those more seriously affected, involving a very large area of the body, we can also depigment the skin completely, like what Michael Jackson did. At least the pigment is uniform again.