Questions in the Dermatology Forum have been answered by Dr. A. Rockoff, a board certified dermatologist, affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine.

Subject: Vitilago
Forum: The Dermatology Forum

Topic Area: Pigmentation Problems

Posted by Dianna on July 31, 1999 at 11:09:29]P{I am a white 40 year old female. I have been experiencing loss of pigmentation for about 10 years now. It is predominately located on the back of the neck, under my arms and around my eyes, however I am noticing more spots appearing in places such as the top of my thighs and the underside of my wrists. Is there any treatment for this that would not allow my pigmentation to be destroyed?]P{]P{]HR WIDTH=}75%} SIZE=}4} COLOR=}#000090}{Posted by Derm M.D. ASR on August 01, 1999 at 00:14:29]P{Dianna:]p{yes, but not really. By that I mean there are a host of treatments doctors have used for vitiligo, but none is very good. These include potent cortisone creams (ineffective), pills plus sunlight (hard to do outside the propics, and side-effects), pills plus artificial light sources (tedious and ineffective, plus side-effects), skin grafting (partly and unpredictably effective), and so on. Some people apply cover-up makeup, but this is time-consuming and few are motivated enough to do it. (Still, you might consider it for certain areas.)]p{Destroying the rest of the pigment, as you allude to, is a drastic last resort, which does make sense for some people, though I personally have no experience administering it.]p{Vitligo, despite much research, remains a big hole in both our understanding and our therapeutic capabilities.]p{Best.]p{Dr. R]p{keywords: vitiligo. Rockoff]p{The information provided in this forum is presented for general educational purposes only.]br{Specific questions you have pertaining to your health should always be directed to your]br{personal physician.]P{]P{]HR WIDTH=}75%} SIZE=}4} COLOR=}#000090}{Posted by Ray on August 12, 1999 at 22:36:55


Several family members, including myself have Vitiligo. For the past 30 years I have used the B vitamins, Pantothenic Acid and PABA, either together or in a high potency multi-vitamin and mineral tablet. This use has kept the white spots from increasing in size and numbers. It has also kept my hair from turning all grey at an earlier age. I am 66 and most people's hair my age have already turned totally white. When I tell others about the vitamins, they ignore my advice. Diana, there is no cure for Vitiligo, but you may want to try my method of keeping the white or lighter skin spots to a minimum. It's not too late to try this natural treatment and consider that orthodox medicine has offered you NOTHING! Ray





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