How to Tests and diagnosis Vitiligo

If your doctor suspects you have vitiligo, he or she will ask about your medical history, examine you and try to rule out other medical problems, such as dermatitis or psoriasis. He or she may use a special lamp to shine ultraviolet light onto the skin to determine whether you have vitiligo.

Skin biopsy and blood draw
In addition to gathering your personal and family medical history and examining your skin, your doctor may:
Take a small sample (biopsy) of the affected skin
Draw blood for lab tests
Other exams

Your doctor may recommend that you see an eye specialist (ophthalmologist), who may check for inflammation in your eye (uveitis). Your doctor may also suggest that you see a hearing specialist (audiologist) to undergo a hearing evaluation because people with vitiligo may have an increased risk of hearing loss.
Sometimes, a health care provider may use a Wood's light. This is a handheld ultraviolet light that causes the areas of skin with less pigment to glow bright white.
In some cases, a skin biopsy may be needed to rule out other causes of pigment loss. Your doctor may also perform blood tests to check the levels of thyroid or other hormones, and vitamin B12.

Vitiligo Treatment At Home

Vitiligo is an ugly skin disease in which the skin cells that produce melanin and pigment are destroyed. Melanin is the crucial substance that gives us natural skin color. When people get vitiligo, the hair in the affected areas will become white. This skin condition is extremely terrible because it makes us become “freaks”.

Vitiligo (leucoderma) is a distressing skin condition marked by gradual loss of melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin pigment in skin layers which results in irregular white patches.
The following self-care tactics may help you care for your skin and improve its appearance:
Protect your skin from the sun and artificial sources of UV light. If you have vitiligo, particularly if you have light skin, use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Apply sunscreen generously and reapply every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.
You can also seek shade and wear clothing that shields your skin from the sun.
Protecting your skin from the sun helps prevent sunburn and long-term damage. A bad sunburn can make your condition worse. Sunscreen also minimizes tanning, which makes the contrast between normal and discolored skin less noticeable.
Conceal affected skin. Concealing products may improve the appearance of the skin and help you feel better about yourself, especially if your vitiligo patches are on exposed skin. You may need to try several brands of makeup or self-tanners to find one that blends well with your normal skin tone. The coloring of self-tanning products doesn't wash off, but it gradually fades over several days. If you use a self-tanner, select one that contains dihydroxyacetone, as it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Don't get a tattoo. Avoid tattooing that's not related to treating your vitiligo. Damage to your skin, such as that caused by a tattoo, may cause a new patch of vitiligo to appear within two weeks.
Say no to stress: Stress (physical or emotional) has been found to be the prime trigger of genealogical disturbances that result in and promote the growth of vitiligo. Indulge in creative pursuits to stay clear of emotional stress. Lifestyle changes to incorporate practices like meditation, yoga and other relaxation exercises is the best thing you can do arrest the growth of vitiligo.

Babchi seeds: Babchi seeds combined with tamarind powder is one of the best home remedies for vitiligo. Equal amount of both the seeds should be soaked in water for three to four days. They should then be shelled and dried in the shade before being made into a paste. The resultant paste should be applied to the white patches for a week. Some skins are sensitive to babchi seeds. If the application of paste causes itching or the white spots become red this treatment should be discontinued.

The Best Vitiligo Hospital to Treat Vitiligo

Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin disease in which there is a progressive destruction of the skin’s pigment-producing cells (melanocytes), resulting in areas of otherwise normal white skin devoid of melanin pigment. It is not unusual for hairs growing in areas of vitiligo to lose their normal color.
Many vitiligo patient looking for treatment ,but many vitiligo patient usd cream ,drugs and laser to treat vitiligo.Because of they think cream can cure vitiligo other than go to hospital.

Beijing Zhongke Vitiligo hospital is the best hospital to treat vitiligo , beijing vitiligo hospital in china have 20000 Square meters,have many vitiligo expers .Zhongke Vitiligo hospital used um-d to cure vitiligo ,UM-D is successfully used in 15000 patients with vitiligo .they are get rid of vitiligo successful .
Beijing Zhongke Vitiligo Hospital Treeatment Method
Medical treatments include:

• Medicines (such as creams) that you put on the skin
• Medicines that you take by mouth
• A treatment that uses medicine plus ultraviolet A (UVA) light (PUVA)
• Removing the color from other areas so they match the white patches.

Surgical treatments include:
Skin grafts from a person’s own tissues. The doctor takes skin from one area of a patient’s body and attaches it to another area. This is sometimes used for people with small patches of vitiligo.
Tattooing small areas of skin.
PUVA  for Vitiligo
PUVA is up to 85% effective in over 70% of patients with vitiligo of the head, neck, upper arms, legs, and trunk. Distal hands and feet are poorly responsive and alone are not usually worth treating. Genital areas should be shielded and not treated. Macules that have totally repigmented usually stay in the absence of injury/sunburn (85% likelihood up to 10 years), macules less than fully repigmented will slowly reverse once treatments have been discontinued. Maintenance treatments are required.
Risks of treating vitiligo with PUVA include nausea, GI upset, sunburn, hyperpigmentation, and acute dryness. We advise against oral PUVA treatments for children under age 10. Treatment is most likely to be successful in highly motivated patients who clearly have reasonable objectives and understand the risks and benefits. While PUVA is not a cure, most patients who are responding well to treatment are not at the same time developing new vitiligo macules.

Traditional Chinese medicine for Vitiligo
Combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine treatment is used according to Yin and Yang imbalance and immune disorder inside patient's body. External medication is used to improve environment of skin, promote proliferation and differentiation of melanophore and recovery of skin color. Internal medication is used to improve internal envrionment, balance yin and yang, dredge the channel, and balance immune, etc. The principle of traditional Chinese medicine in treating vitiligo:
First,It can improve blood circulation and remove stasis to improve micro-circulation and increase blood supply to lesions, duly promoting synthesis of tyrosine, inhibiting damage of melanin, stopping expansion of vitiligo
Second, TCM can benefit qi and increase essense to promote growth of melanophore, and activation as well as repair residual melanophore;
Third, it can tonify kidney to relieve depression and relieve uneasiness so that the yin and yang will be balanced and immune system in order, prevent relapse of vitiligo.
Principles of modern medicine in treating vitiligo:
First interfere and stop replication and expansion of illed melanophore, which can control the vitiligo expansion within short period.
Second, repair melanophore which contains broken gene strand to eliminate the factors that cause metabolic disorder and apotosis of melanophore so that the illed melanophore can recover its normal function.

When the micro-circulation is improved at the lesions, blood supply to the lesions will be increased so that the synthetic melanophore can shift spontaneously and disfuse to vitiligo area, as a result, the melanophore shifted can produce melanin, duly solve the pigment loss problem and recover normal skin color.
Learn more about New Treatment Opinions for Vitiligo

Vitiligo Diet :What is the Best Diet for Vitiligo

Vitiligo is essentially areas of the skin devoid of pigmentation, that is, when the color producing cells in your skin, melanocytes, cease functioning or die. It most commonly occurs on the face and hands and wrists. While searching for vitiligo facts may yield potential causes of the condition, medical science is still unsure as to what actually causes it. Treating a loss of skin pigment can prove a lengthily and challenging process, however there are some that suggest that your daily food intake may play a role in the treatment and management of this condition and offer a vitiligo diet for this purpose.

It’s very important to consider the food allergy, while planning vitiligo as they can accelerate vitiligo. After taking a diagnostic test, you can easily know about your food allergy and how much they can affect your body and in which way. Vegetables such as beet root, radish, French beans, carrot, bitter gourd, ridge, Spinach, fenugreek, onion and drumstick should be included in the vitiligo diet.
Also fruits like grapes, mangoes, walnut, dates, apricot and papaya should also be consumed in Vitiligo condition. One should also include wheat, red pepper, pure ghee, jaggery, Bengal gram, almond, pistachio nut, chilies and potatoes in their diet. One should also control the intake of antioxidants in this disorder. Fresh vegetables and fruits provide the body with high amounts of antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals. Avoid eating grilled or processed food as they decrease the quantity of antioxidants in the body.
Avoid diet of Vitiligo

While suffering from vitiligo one should avoid certain fruits like, gooseberry, orange, guava, custard apple, cashew nuts, prunes, watermelon and melon. One should also not include vegetables like, red sorrel, brinjal, papaya, parsley, tomato, lemon, garlic and tamarind in their diet. Milk products such as curd, milk and buttermilk and also non-vegetarian food such as red meat, fish and beef should also be escaped. One should also stay away from junk food, coffee, chocolate, carbonated drinks, soda bicarb, pickles, oily food item and spicy food.

What Are Symptoms of Segmental Vitiligo

Vitiligo is caused by the lack of a pigment called melanin in the skin. Melanin is produced by skin cells called melanocytes, and it gives your skin its colour.
In segmental vitiligo (also known as unilateral or localised vitiligo), the white patches only affect one area of your body.

Vitiligo often starts as a pale patch of skin that gradually turns completely white. The centre of a patch may be white, with pale skin around it. If there are blood vessels under the skin, the patch may be slightly pink, rather than white.
Loss of skin color occurs on only one side of your body.
Segmental vitiligo is less common than non-segmental vitiligo, although it's more common in children. It usually starts earlier and affects three in 10 children with vitiligo.
Segmental vitiligo, the symptoms often appear on both sides of your body as symmetrical white patches. Symmetrical patches can appear on the:

• backs of your hands
• arms
• skin around body openings, such as the eyes
• knees
• elbows
• feet

Learn About What Are Treatment for Segmental Vitiligo

If I have vitiligo: will my children have vitiligo ?

In some cases vitiligo seems to be inherited and run in families, with children whose parents have vitiligo being at increased risk of developing the condition themselves.


The frequency of vitiligo among first degree relatives in white, Indo - Pakistani, and Hispanic populations is 7.1%, 6.1%, and 4.8%, respectively. Identical twins with identical DNA have only a 23% chance of developing vitiligo, suggesting a significant non-genetic component in the disease.

How Long does Vitiligo take to cure vitiligo?

Vitiligo is an acquired pigmentary disorder of the skin and mucous membranes, and it is characterized by circumscribed depigmented macules and patches. Vitiligo is a progressive disorder in which some or all of the melanocytes in the affected skin are selectively destroyed. Vitiligo affects 0.5-2% of the world population, and the average age of onset is 20 years.

Treatment results will vary by person and type of vitiligo. The rule of thumb is that you will need to allow at least 3 to 6 months before you begin to see results from any treatment, and you may expect satisfactory results within 12-18 months.
Presently, there is no cure for vitiligo but it can be managed effectively through many different approaches. It is also important to remember there is no one therapy that works for everyone. Vitiligo is a complex disease and requires a complex, prolonged therapy. There are also some people who do not seem to respond to any therapy.

Newly appeared depigmented spots can be efficiently treated soon after onset, typically within the first 6-8 weeks of the appearance of white lesions. Unfortunately, new patients get trapped between physicians, dermatologists, insurance companies and their daily activities, and typically lose this best window of opportunity. Early treatment will produce better and longer lasting results, which is why medical care should be sought as soon as possible to stop the patches from spreading.
Learn more about What Are Symptoms of Vitiligo

Vitilito Hospital: How to Treat Vitiligo By Light Therapy

Treatment with ultraviolet light therapy is the main means of restoring pigment to the white areas of vitiligo. Two types of light therapy are effective in vitiligo. PUVA therapy and narrow-band UVB (311) phototherapy. PUVA therapy consists of taking a medication called psoralens and then being exposed to ultraviolet A light. Psoralens are distributed to the skin and there interact with the UVA light to stimulate formation of new pigment cells in the skin. Narrow-band phototherapy does not involve taking a medication and has a similar but probably less powerful effect on pigment cells.
PUVA therapy has been used in India and the Middle-east for several thousand years for treatment of vitiligo and it has been used in America . Sunlight was used as the source of UVA light, but recently, more effective indoor sources of light have been developed. These improvements to the treatment have resulted in much better response rates and also have allowed definition of what the likely response will be in an individual patient. Narrow-band phototherapy was introduced in the 1990s.

Light therapy produces some repigmentation in almost all patients but the extent of repigmentation does vary. The chief determinant of the response is the location of the vitiligo. Vitiligo on the face almost always responds completely, the trunk has a less favorable response and so on down to the tips of the fingers and toes, which almost never respond. The duration and extent of vitiligo do not influence the response.

Treatment has to be given two or three times each week. A trial of thirty treatments gives a fairly accurate indication of whether or not treatment will be worthwhile. If there is no response by treatment number thirty, it is pointless to continue. Treatment number fifty is the next milestone: if the response is not sustained it is unlikely that further repigmentation will occur.
Light therapy does not stop new areas of vitiligo appearing and repigmented areas can lose pigment again. However, it is very unusual for a patient to continue to show progression of vitiligo after 20-30 treatments. Furthermore, if a given patch of vitiligo is completely repigmented and filled in, it is very unusual to again lose the pigment; partial repigmentation of a patch is frequently lost.
Home UVB Phototherapy Safety
Safe for long-term use in adults, children, pregnant women, and immune-depressed persons
No increased risk of skin cancer, whereas biologic medications have a risk of organ toxicity and are linked with cancer

Our home uvb phototherapy units are equipped with safety features: controlled prescription timer, key-lock and more.

The Best Vitiligo Hospital To Treat Vitiligo in UK

Vitiligo is a common, non-catching skin condition which causes a loss of pigmentation in patches of the skin. It affects around 1% of the population andcan develop at any age, often causing distress to sufferers because of its unusual appearance. Vitiligo occurs when the cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning.The extent and rate of colour loss is unpredictable, and it can occur on any part of the body. Sometimes it also affects the eyes, hair and the inside of the mouth.

Beijing Zhongke Vitiligo Hospital was established strictly following the WHO’s diagnostic and treatment criteria and is specialized in diagnosis and treatment of vitiligo. We are located in Beijing, Capital of China, helping patients all over China, popular among patients at home and abroad, so we are an international modern specialized Vitiligo hospital integrating prevention, health care, rehab as well as scientific & research. Holding the international cutting-edge concept of vitiligo treatment and strictly following the diagnostic and treatment criteria, we set up complete scientific, reasonable diagnostic & treatment standard system, which provide precise diagnostic basis for the clinical practices and efficient treatment guarantee. According to different patients’ different causes, we classify the diagnosis through high-technical tests and give them individualized treatments so as to improve success rate of relapse vitiligo. After more than ten years’ practices, we gained patient’s trust at home and abroad.
Treatments available:
No drug can stop the process of vitiligo — the loss of pigment cells (melanocytes). But some drugs, used alone or with light therapy, can help improve your skin's appearance.
Light therapy. This treatment uses narrow band UVB light. You may receive treatment in a doctor's office up to three times a week. And unlike photochemotherapy, it doesn't require psoralen, which simplifies the process. The best results are achieved on the face, trunk and limbs.
Laser therapy. This procedure brings color back to patches of light skin by treating them with an excimer laser, which uses a specific wavelength of UVB light. It can be used only on small areas, and it's often used in combination with a drug applied to the skin. Side effects can include redness and blistering.
Removing the remaining color (depigmentation). This therapy may be an option if your vitiligo is widespread and other treatments haven't worked. A medication with monobenzone is applied to unaffected areas of skin. This gradually lightens it so that it blends with the discolored areas. The therapy is done twice a day for nine months or longer. You'll need to avoid skin-to-skin contact with other people for at least two hours after you've applied the drug, so you don't transfer it to them.
Side effects can include redness, swelling, itching and dry skin. Depigmentation is permanent, and you'll always be extremely sensitive to sunlight.
Surgery may be an option for you if light therapy and drugs don't work. Surgery can also be used with those therapies. The goal of the following techniques is to even out your skin tone by restoring color.

Skin grafting. In this procedure, your doctor removes very small sections of your normal, pigmented skin and attaches them to areas that have lost pigment. This procedure is sometimes used if you have small patches of vitiligo. Possible risks include infection, scarring, a cobblestone appearance, spotty color and failure of the area to recolor.

What is the BEST treatment for vitiligo?

Combination treatments work best. At the Vitiligo Specialist Hospital we believe in best management of vitiligo based upon the very latest scientific research and protocols.

Our treatment regimes consists of –Ways to re-colour your skin, and stimulate your pigment cells to produce melanin. We use a combination of anti-inflammatory chinese medicine, and phototherapy.
Ways to treat your white patches. We will colour match your skin with special UM-D
We will recommend sun protection as this is vitally important in vitiligo patients

We will council and support you thru the whole process of re-pigmentation
Learn more about Chinese Herbs Treatment for Vitiligo

Vitiligo diet:Foods to eat and avoid

Vitiligo is caused by a lack of skin pigmentation known as melanin, For some the condition is hereditary. Most commonly seen on the neck, hands and face because they tend to be the most exposed to the sun which can accelerate the process. The actual underlying cause, though, is due to the lack of Melanin in your skin. Melanin is produced by melanocytes, and if your body has an insufficient amount of these it will stop producing the required amount of melanin.

Some key points to a vitiligo diet include, boosting the immune system with foods rich in phytochemicals, beta carotene, and antioxidants to slow down disease progression; avoiding foods that contain hydroquinones, which have depigmentation properties; avoiding citrus fruits and turmeric as they can result in additional skin problems; and avoiding red meat and dairy, especially if you have an allergy, as they can negatively impact your vitiligo.

There may not be enough scientific evidence to prove how these foods worsen leucoderma (vitiligo) but our clinical experience has shown that many patients report worsening of their vitiligofrom these items and hence they are better avoided.

Surgical Therapies for Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a chronic skin disorder that causes areas of skin to lose colour. It presents as depigmented (white) patches. Exposed body sites, such as the face, elbows, knees, hands and feet, are often involved, resulting in significant cosmetic concerns. Vitiligo is usually treated with creams and tablets, or by phototherapy. Vitiligo may fail to improve or clear with these treatments.

Surgical therapies can be used for areas of stable vitiligo. There are a variety of grafting and transplant procedures used. Small grafts of skin can be removed from normal skin that is in an unseen area and grafted onto areas with vitiligo. Light is often used to stimulate the pigment to spread beyond the grafted area. Some regions, like India, are using small samples of normal skin and culturing either melanocytes or a combination of melanocytes and keratinocytes that are then spread over the areas of vitiligo that have been abrased to allow the cells to penetrate. The area is covered with a dressing for some period of time. Surgical therapies can often be used with success on segmental vitiligo, as the vitiligo is usually stable after the initial spread. Due to the risk of the skin trauma activating the vitiligo, surgical therapies are rarely performed unless the patient has been stable for at least a year. Side effects of these surgical therapies can be spreading in the area where the graft/sample is taken, a cobblestone or patchwork effect, or scarring.
Surgical therapies include grafts and transplants:
Mini-punch grafting takes small full-thickness grafts and places them in the depigmented area, with topical PUVA used to stimulate pigmentation. The main downside is a cobblestone effect.
Thin split-thickness grafts take a thinner slice but are similar to the mini-punch grafting. They require general anesthesia and are often successful for the lips/hands. Scarring may occur in both donor and grafted areas.
Suction blister grafting separates the epidermis from the dermis with a suction device that causes blisters. The epidermis is then placed on an abraded vitiligo area. Areas between the grafts may remain hypopigmented, but scarring is usually minimal.

Transplant therapies include transplantation of pure melanocytes or melanocytes and keratinocytes together. In either technique the area with vitiligo that is to receive the transplant is roughed up or abraded, sometimes with a laser, then a dressing with the melanocyte mixture is placed on the site and covered until the area heals. Some form of light is often used to help stimulate the pigment to spread out.
Learn more vitiligo causes,symptoms and treatment

Early Signs (symptoms) of Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a skin condition in which the skin loses melanin, the pigment that determines the color of your skin, hair and eyes. Vitiligo occurs when the cells that produce melanin die or no longer form melanin, causing slowly enlarging white patches of irregular shapes to appear on your skin. And the truth is, there is no known cure for this disease. All that can be done is try and control its symptoms, the white patches. It is not a communicable disease.

Any part of the body may be affected by Vitiligo, depigmentation usually develops first on sun exposed areas of the skin, such as hands, feet, arms, face and lips. Genitals also may be affected. It can start to appear at any age, Vitiligo usually first appears between the ages of 10 and 30. Vitiligo generally appears in one of three patterns – Generalized. In this most frequent subtype, pigment loss is extensive across many parts of the body, often evenly.

Segmental loss of skin color happens on only one side of the body. This is more inclined to happen at a younger age, progress for a year or two, and then stop.
Focal depigmentation is limited to one or a few areas of the body.
The areas most commonly affected by vitiligo include:
the skin around your mouth and eyes
fingers and wrists
armpits
groin
genitals
inside your mouth
It can also sometimes develop where there are hair roots, such as on your scalp. The lack of melanin in your skin can turn the hair in the affected area white or grey.
Vitiligo often starts as a pale patch of skin that gradually turns completely white. The centre of a patch may be white, with pale skin around it. If there are blood vessels under the skin, the patch may be slightly pink, rather than white.

The edges of the patch may be smooth or irregular. They're sometimes red and inflamed, or there's brownish discolouration (hyperpigmentation).
Learn about : how to cure vitiligo