World Vitiligo Day
It’s important to break the stereotypes and the judgments the people pass as soon as they see a person with white patches on their skin. Addressing this problem of Vitiligo, it is a skin condition wherein the people start losing their pigment cells which results in unwanted patches on the skin. It occurs when melanocytes, the cells liable for skin pigmentation, die or are inept to function effectively.
“There are thousands of people in the country that are dealing with the problem of Vitiligo. Most of the people we encounter feel inferior, embarrassed and are traumatized by their appearances. They develop low self-esteem which makes them unwilling to move out and most of them even start hating their skin they’re in. It is important to realize for the people in the country that Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease, which can happen to anybody.”
The causes that trigger this condition can be genetic, increased stress, high exposure to the sun, amplified contact with industrial chemicals or even the immune system can lead to the termination of melanocytes in the skin. It is important to address this condition timely to ensure that it can be treated.
To deal with this skin condition, one can either go for Split Thickness Skin Grafting or Melanocyte Transfer.
In Split Thickness Skin Grafting, there is transfer or displacement of a sheet of the epidermis with some part of the upper dermis to the recipient area. This transplantation helps the recipient area to deal with its melanin production. Whereas, in Melanocyte Transfer, a split-thickness skin graft is picked from a suitable donor area and this is treated with an enzyme. This suffices the insufficient cell count of the recipient area.
“The aim of these treatments is to recover, advance and progress the appearance of skin lesions. The treatments are customized and tailored from person to person keeping in mind the size and occurrence of the white patches.” further Dr. Dadu adds.
World Vitiligo Day is celebrated on 25th June every year. So, let’s come together to fight this problem and encourage everyone to love the skin they’re in.
By: Dr. Nivedita Dadu, Founder and Chairman, Dr. Nivedita Dadu’s Dermatology Clinic.