Thursday, February 4, 2010

Treat Vitiligo On The Hands

Vitiligo is a skin condition that causes white patches to appear on different parts of the body, including the hands. There are several treatments available for people with the disease, ranging from simple creams to surgical intervention.


Instructions


Treatment procedures


1. Apply sunscreen every day. Protecting the skin is of utmost importance when you have vitiligo. Cosmetics, such as concealer, can also be applied to the skin to cover up the irregular patches caused by the disease. If you have pale skin, avoid tanning.








2. Try corticosteroid therapy with your doctor's help. These drugs, including cortisone, are applied directly to the skin and may cause pigment to return. These creams can take several months to work, and you'll need to have regular visits with your doctor to monitor any side effects.


3. Ask your doctor about psoralen photochemotherapy. In this treatment for vitiligo, you will be given a dose of psoralen, either orally or topically, and then you will be exposed to strong UVA light. The affected areas on your hands will turn pink after exposure to the light and then will return to normal skin color. The doctor may adjust the light levels several times and treatment may take several weeks.


4. Consider depigmentation. This treatment, using the drug monobenzone, will fade the rest of the skin on your hands so that it matches the white areas caused by the vitiligo. Side effects include dry and itchy skins. Depigmentation is permanent.


5. Consult with your doctor about surgical remedies if the less invasive options are not working. Your doctor may try skin grafts, in which skin from other areas of your body are placed on your non-pigmented skin. Another option is blister skin grafts, in which your doctor will create blisters and transplant them to your vitiligo-affected skin.

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