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

Question Title: Vitilago

Forum: The Dermatology Forum
Topic: 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]P{]br{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 nPosted by Ray on August 18, 1999 at 20:56:33


Doctor, with all due respect, I think you misconstrued my letter. You read something in my message that was not my intention to convey. I am neither angry nor frustrated about my vitiligo condition, contrarily, I am satisfied with the vitamin treatment. Compared to other family members with the same desease who resigned themselves to a "no hope" attitude, I am happy that I made the effort to try the vitamins, because for me, it has helped a great deal. I don't believe the spots are in remission as you suggested, and I accept the fact that from time to time, I shall discover new spots. However, I believe they will be small and not conspicuous or embarrassing as my family members suffer from, ie, facial and exposed limbs. I don't believe in "luck", but sincerely believe the concept of "cause and effect". I took the vitamins religously and compared the beneficial results with other relatives who chose to do nothing. Doctor, like the old saying goes,"The proof is in the pudding!" So, I suggested that Dianna merely try the vitamins and determine herself whether or not they help her skin, in light of the fact she has tried, unsuccessfully, other treatments. And doctor, I'm confident you will agree that even if the skin results are not satisfactory, taking vitamins plus minerals everyday, are more beneficial than detrimental healthwise. So the lady has nothing to loose and a greater sense of physical stability to gain. We concur that vitamins may work for one person, yet may not work for someone else, just like prescription drugs. BUT, they truly are worth a try till something more promising has been discovered and formulated.

Posted by Derm M.D. ASR on August 19, 1999 at 11:31:47

Ray:

Agreed, all the way around. Thanks for the clarification, and good luck.

Best.

Dr. R

 

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