Light therapy (phototherapy) is exposure to light that is brighter than
indoor light but not as bright as direct sunlight. Do not use ultraviolet light,
full-spectrum light, heat lamps, or tanning lamps for light therapy.
Vitiligo is a disorder in which patches of white skin appear on various parts of the body. The skin is white because the cells responsible for producing brown pigment have disappeared from the affected areas. Vitiligo is a common condition afflicting 3-5% of the population and although it may appear at any age, it most commonly commences in childhood or early adult-life.
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.
Vitiligo is a disorder in which patches of white skin appear on various parts of the body. The skin is white because the cells responsible for producing brown pigment have disappeared from the affected areas. Vitiligo is a common condition afflicting 3-5% of the population and although it may appear at any age, it most commonly commences in childhood or early adult-life.
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.
