Vitiligo Treatment Options
Managing Symptoms
While incurable, vitiligo can be a very manageable disease, with many treatment options currently available across the globe, including medication, light therapy, and creams.
Because no one treatment can change the course of the condition long-term, there is not a specific viewpoint on the most effective treatment overall or one licensed drug to treat vitiligo. However, many topical treatments and therapies have proven successful at managing symptoms for patients.
Commonly Used Vitiligo Treatments
Creams
Your doctor can prescribe either steroids or ointments that you can use for up to 2 months or longer to treat patches under watchful monitoring. Steroid creams are the most common treatment offered and recommended.
Light Therapy
Either narrowband UVB or PUVA light therapies are used to treat vitiligo. This treatment involves hospital visits 2 or 3 times a week, and it’s occasionally administered in conjunction with medication.
Other Treatment Options
Not fully recommended options you can explore at your own will: Laser therapies, Vitamin and supplement treatments, Bleaching and skin grafting are only utilized in extremely rare cases
What Treatment Results Can You Expect?
Although there is no complete cure for vitiligo, some therapies can be quite helpful in restoring color to the white skin patches or at least reducing the progression of vitiligo. Treatment outcomes differ from one person to the next and can sometimes result in total repigmentation.
Some treatments may not be effective in all areas of the body or for all people. While color may return to the white spots, there is always a chance that the vitiligo will return later.
Efficacy of Treatments
Different treatments will affect people differently depending on many factors, and a combination of treatments may need to be tried and used to find a suitable solution. According to new research, the efficiency of therapies is determined less by a person’s age than by the location of the vitiligo and when it first appeared:
- Treating vitiligo when it first appears is more helpful rather than later
- Larger areas are more challenging to treat than smaller ones
- The treatment of vitiligo on the face appears especially beneficial
- Children are more likely to respond to treatment than adults
Treatment Type | Sub Type | Comments |
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Phototherapy | ||
UVB |
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PUVA |
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Excimer Laser |
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Targeted UVB |
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Handheld UVB Units |
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Topical Treatment Options | ||
Topical Steroids |
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Calcineurin Inhibitors |
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Cortico Steroids |
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Depigmentation |
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Calcipotriene |
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Tacrolimus |
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Cosmetic Camouflage Options | ||
Make-up Dye Stains |
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Micropigmentation |
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Dihydroxyacetone |
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Waterproof Products |
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Surgery Options | ||
MKTP |
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Punch Grafting |
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Blister Grafting |
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Split Skin Grafting |
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Cultured Autografts |
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Systemic Therapy Options | ||
Cryotherapy |
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Oral Steroids |
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Depigmentation |
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Methotrexate |
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Ciclosporin |
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Mycophenolate Mofetil |
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Tetracycline |
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Subcutaneous Afamelanotide |
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