Vitiligo generally called white spots illness as well or Leucoderma, in which the skin loses its pigment due to the annihilation of melanocytes. Melanocytes are such pigment cells which found in the epidermis (the surface layer of the skin) and there are responsible for producing Melanin (a dark pigment that gives skin its color) and protects against ultraviolet radiation., The skin becomes pale when melanocytes stop producing melanin leaving areas of white patches this is called vitiligo.

To describe Vitiligo symptoms, the onset of the vitiligo symptoms is very visible in darker and wheatish skinned people as the contrast of white patches looks obvious against dark skin. The manifestation of flat areas of normal-feeling skin with complete pigment loss is sudden or gradual and appearance of vitiligo symptoms the lesions appear as flat areas with no pigment.

In common the affected areas are the face, elbows, knees, hands feet, and genitalia.
The initial vitiligo symptoms are easily observable with flat white spots or patches on your skin. Vitiligo symptoms usually starts the first white patch appears on the skin area remains exposed to the sun. Vitiligo symptoms do not cause physical discomfort to your skin, such as itching etc.

Vitiligo symptoms, vitiligo most commonly affects traumatic areas particularly on the face, upper chest, hands and groin. It may be widespread, affecting both sides of the body it may affect only one side of the body or it may affect only one localized area.
If the affected area contains hair, the hair may turn white then vitiligo symptoms sharply distinct white patches are seen rather obviously. Sometimes there may be seen by a circular white patch, resembling a halo.

Pigmentation is a continuous process in skin responsible for skin coloration. Two known problems in this process are depigmentation and hyper-pigmentation.

More common example of depigmentation is the skin condition leucoderma. In leucoderma a loss of pigmentation take place in one or various parts of skin due to the damage to skin pigment producing cells called melanocytes. In other words leucoderma is a deficiency of pigment or pigment forming cells in a certain part of skin.

Leucoderma and Vitiligo

Both leucoderma and vitiligo are the same disease name and vitiligo is normally used in western world where as leucoderma is used in Asian countries like India.
http://www.antivitiligo.com/frequently-asked-questions.html

In leucoderma melanocytes skin cells are damaged by some internal abnormal action in skin by its own auto immune system. what are the root causes of the disease, it is not fully understood and no acceptable method to explore this fact has yet been discovered. Such facts make leucoderma a serious skin disease. However it is quite harmless skin disease in the sense that it is not pre cancerous disorder nor a contagious skin disease which can transmit from one person to other.

Some time very common and daily used thing could be very useful for serious diseases. Here are some words about some herbal produces which are used to prepare an effective vitiligo remedy.

Before using these remedies first read about some common instructions about these remedies, because use of any vitiligo remedy needed some precautions.

1) Turmeric and mustard oil Remedy.

5 tea spoons of turmeric, mixed in 250 ml of mustard oil, you will get paste like thing Apply this past on patches of vitiligo. Use this vitiligo remedy continuously up to one year.

2) Basil Leaves and Lime Juice

A simple remedy for vitiligo. Basil leaves and Lime juice are useful herbs to regulate the production of melanin. Use this remedy for 6 month thrice or 4 time a day. After one month you will find sign of pigmentation in vitiligo spots. This is very easy to made and use remedy. Mix some drops of Basil leaves extracts with Lime juice together and apply on your affected skin.

3) Psoralea Seeds and Tamarind Seeds

It is also a fine effective remedy for the treatment of vitilgo. Saturate Psoralea Seeds and Tamarind Seeds in water for 4 days. Remove and dry the soaked mixture. Now you can apply it to your vitiligo spots. When it dry it should be grounded into the paste which is easy to apply on affected parts. There will a dramatic improvement in the disease state and the White patches will decrease and gradually disappear. Some people say that this remedy improve your pigmentation dramatically.

4) Psoralea and Ginger Juice

This remedy is little a bit different from other because it is to eat instead of external application. First soak seeds of Psoralea in Ginger Juice for few days (about 3 days). The saturated Psoralea seeds are then dried in shade and powdered. Take one gram of this powder daily with 1 cup of fresh milk for 2 months. Psoralens are most used substance for the treatment of vitiligo.

An other vitiligo remdy

Take bath twice a day. Eat 600 gm uncooked cucumber, 3 betel leaves, and 15 gm ginger drink juice of big lemon on daily basois. Take bath twice a day. Take bitter ground for 3 days. Take without sugar, salt or honey a sun tan for 10 minutes.
Avoid from these things milk products, like curd, tea, coffee, ghee, mango and other sweet frout, ice cream, cold drink, eggs and fish.

A little descriptions about vitiligo ingredients used in these remedy.

Turmeric

Turmeric has great importance in Indian medicine system where it is treated as anti-septic, anti-inflammatory substance. It is also used on wound to prevent from bacterial infection. Turmeric is a fine immune regulator substance.

Mustard oil

Mustard oil is also beneficial for the strength of immune system. It is also anti-becterial oil and used in detoxify human body.

Basil Leaves

Basil leaves are common kitchen ingredients and have anti-viral, anti-aging qualities. A fine thing to control stress.

Psoralens
I think psoralens are most using herbs for the treatment of vitiligo. Not in only in home remedy but also use in some latest medical treatment procedures like PUVA.

Tamarind

Tamarind is one of the fine immune booster and support people resistance for infections.

Ginger
ginger is an anti-inflammatory substance. Used to prevent blood clotting. It stimulates circulation and used to support digestive system.

Vitiligo is no doubt a chronic skin condition often take years to be disappeared from. Now many medical treatment procedures for vitiligo has been discovered but herbal industry still leading this race and various creams, oils, remedies and other treatment methods are available for the treatment of vitiligo.

Classical and latest scientific treatment methods have been applying for treatment of vitiligo. Herbal medicine and cream, Ayurvedic medicine system, Chinese system of medicine are famous traditional treatment options. Laser light treatment techniques,
Phototherapies consist on uva or uvb light rays, skin surgery are the latest treatment option for vitiligo.

Vitiligo Cream and Herbal Medicines

What is the reason that there is no herbal vitiligo cream? Reason is simple, as quoted by by http://www.antivitiligo.com/frequently-asked-questions.html that preparation of cream required latest and advanced processing techniques, whereas herbal natural medicines are prepared in traditional ways in which cream is not easily possible.

So here are a brief description about some vitiligo creams.

Anti-Vitiligo

This is not a vitiligo cream but an excellent product for treating and re-pigmentation in skin.

Drula Pigment Cream

This cream is useful for vitiligo, a self tanning cream which enhance the pigmentation in depigmented areas of skin. It contain the color pigment ingredients and helps to combat the difference between light and dark skin coloration.

Vitises gel

It is consist of famous herb for skin Ginko biloba and calcium chloride. It support melanocytes skin cells to produce more melanin for skin.
It actually not a cream and find in the form of gel. Nor it is a pure herbal product.

Herbal medicines are the most favorite way of treatment for vitiligo. Herbal medicines are found in the form of oil, tablets and complete diet. Most of the people like medicine in cream form because it is easy to use, well processed and give no smell. But it is a problem which herbal medicine that there is no vitiligo cream made by herbs.

For vitiligo cure it is frequently used sentance that unfortunately there is no cure of vitiligo.
The words cure implies to the complete treatment of any disease, such that it is refers to elimination of root causes of disease by some medicines or treatment procedures. In term of vitiligo the “cure” used for complete eradication of the disease whatever it be, from the patient body system.

What are the real triggers of vitiligo, how auto immunity takes part in destruction of body own skin cells that produce pigmentation, it is all not certainly known so far.

However no “cure for vitiligo” does not mean that one can not get its pigmentation or skin coloration back. There are various techniques for the re-coloration in skin. Like stimulating production of melanocytes in skin, optimize the ability of inactive color producing cell to produce more melanin for skin.

Cures for Vitiligo

A brief description of some treatment which can be used as cures of vitiligo.

Several home and herbal remedies are suggested as a cure for vitiligo by some herbalists or experienced people of this ground. Because herbal remedies or medicines have may curative properties like they are more cheaper, give no side effects and easy to use.

Laser Treatment Technology

PUVA

Skin Surgery

Except these are some latest researches are also conducted to find cure for vitiligo. Hopefully there will be positive results regarding these. Among them one report is in ther favour of blackpepper and other one vote for chickpeas as cure of this skin disorder.

People having white patches of vitiligo have been easily observed in every society. When some one ask them about these white patches on their body, why they not cure these spots. Most of the patients reply that there is no vitiligo cure available. This reply is right at some extent and not right also due to some reason.

Causes of vitiligo are not fully known this is fact that all treatment procedure are use to re-pigment skin instead of curing root cause of vitiligo. Furthermore causes of vitiligo are not fully known with certainty and causes may change in person to person.

In vitiligo cure and cause melanocytes skin cells plays an important role. These are cell that responsible for the pigmentation in skin. According to my view all available treatment procedures try to cure vitiligo in two ways. One is to improve the activity of melanocytes to produce melanin. Other is to produce melanocytes skin cells for in white patches of vitiligo. There are many proofs of this statement for example one can easily found what different vitiligo treatment providing orgs says about how they treat vitiligo.

Vitiligo Cure and some facts

Anti-Vitiligo says that you can not completely annihilate vitiligo from your skin system. And say in open words about cure of vitiligo “One cannot cure vitiligo or halt it, but you can manage the local manifestations (white patches) using oral or topical treatments.” However Anti-Vitiligo also provides herbal remedy for treatment of vitiligo. Similar content is I also found at http://www.vitiligoguide.com/vitiligo-cure/

Skin surgery as cure of vitiligo

From the content of the vitiligo.net it seem that it is not agree with the above views of vitiligo. And according to it, vitiligo cure mean to restore the skin's color by restoring melanocytes in the skin. Grafting melanocytes from one place to another is cause re-pigmentation of skin. So according to vitiligo cure is possible by skin surgery.

Vitiligo cure and homeopathy

It is another example of that is a site which is agree with above one but it vote for homeopathy as it is best thing for cure of vitiligo.

How black Pepper Cure Vitiligo

A research conducted by research team of king’s medical colleges of London indicate that black pepper is can cure vitiligo by increasing the production of melanocytes and melanin in the skin. Same search conducted by some Indian scientists that says chickpeas are very rich substance for the pigmentation in vitligo patches of skin.

Gradual loss of melanin in skin cause white spots on skin disease in which such loss occurs termed as Leucoderma. A fairly non contagious and not painful condition. Leucoderma as 20% of all the cases shows hereditary, but some other factors also have some contribution like emotional stress, gastric disorders, poor liver function, parasites or after severe burns and existence of other autoimmune disorders. Although it is not hazard your body but can reduce social interaction of its sufferer by ugly appearance and give a lot of emotional pain.

Leucoderma and Vitiligo
Vitiligo and leucoderma are two word for a single disease. So what Anti-Vitiligo say about it read:-
leucoderma is a synonym for vitiligo presently being used this utterance mostly in some countries of south East Asia such as India, Sri Lanka and in the countries around them.
http://www.antivitiligo.com/frequently-asked-questions.html

Almost all latest and old treatment options are utilized for the treatment of this skin condition. Homeopathy and prescribed medicine based treatment is not so success rate for leucoderma. This the reason most of the patients move towards the laser treatment, photo therapies like uvb treatment and PUVA or skin surgery. Re pigmentation by these treatment options are expansive and there is big risk of negative effects for skin associated with this mode of treatment.

Leucoderma is such skin condition which may be increase or decrease during the treatment applied on it due to the negative effects of the medicines or rays in case of radiation based treatment. Normally different patient get treatment form different treatment procedures. And most of the time and money of a leucoderma sufferer waist in testing various options.

So among all the treatment options best choice, which causes minimum negative effects and economical. We consider all available treatment for it both of these are well associated with natural or herbal medicines. Herbal medicine have been considered best thing specially for skin and hair care problems.

Here under a brief description about some home remedies for the treatment of leucoderma.

Basil Leaves and Lime Juice Remedy

Mix some drops of Basil leaves extracts with Lime juice together and apply on your affected skin. Apply this remedy 4 time in a day for 6 months. Both these ingredients are very useful for pigmentation in skin and enhance the production of melanin in skin. Only after 20 to 30 days you will find good results regarding re-pigmentation in your white spots.

Remedy for Leucoderma

This remedy’s ingredients are mustard oil and turmeric.
Mustard oil is very usefully anti-becterial and detoxifying agent. It is very supportive to the immune system of the skin. Turmeric too is a powerful anti-septic, anti-becterial and anti-inflammatory substance. Turmeric is a useful immune regulator substance.
Take 5 tea spoons of turmeric and mixed in 250 ml of mustard oil. Apply these past on the vitiligo patches. Use this remedy continuously up to one year.

Overall blog posts on this blog are about skin disease vitiligo disease. We have discussed about some general topics related to this pigmentation disorder.
Know Here I am writing views of some vitiligo patients about their skin condition and what they feel about their white patch on skin.

“I went to two doctors and a dermatologist who all informed me that there is no cure and there is nothing that I can do about it. They also told me that I have a very mild case and not to worry because they've seen worse. I suppose they were trying to make me feel better. It didn't work, I felt horrible.”

This showed that normally many people even some doctor too realize that vitiligo has no any treatment. In the same way another wrong assumption also exist in our societies that
Drinking milk after eating fish also causes vitiligo. This theory is altogether wrong and have not any research based evidence.

The above sentence by the patient shows little a bit disappointment, but see another patients experience which seem quite hopeful about the treatment of vitiligo.

“I have had vitiligo most, if not all of my almost 45 years. I started using an topical remedy in the fall of 2005 and have gained so much pigment in my oldest and largest patches on my right thigh, that I believe the vitiligo patches will go away altogether. This is a dream come true.

"My vitiligo is concentrated on my thigh. It has a tendency to lighten various parts of my entire body, however, through nutrition and supplemental treatments directly to my skin, I have kept the spreading under control. Since adding Anti-Vitiligo to my regimen, I am getting close to my goal of being normal.”

These view shows that different patients of vitiligo have different feeling and about their skin condition based on their experiment regarding treatment. These sentences are really a light of hope for the disappointing people which leave their skin as it is.

Although it is right the total cure of vitiligo or its complete inhalation from the body system is difficult thing but every person suffering from this should keep search for the best treatments. Today latest medical technologies have been utilized for finding vitiligo treatment. And many big medical institutions and organizations research teams are searching to explore the real causes of vitiligo. For example a latest research shows some strange results saying a common kitchen item black pepper with photo therapy is useful in treating this skin disease and better than many other remedies.

So the saying “for every disease there must a cure” is also true for vitiligo. Know it is duty of the skin experts to work hard to find an effective medicine for this.

Note: The reviews of patients which I quoted above not artificial but taken from a reliable vitiligo related website http://www.antivitiligo.com/

Vitiligo is a common skin disease where the skin develops areas that become colorless. It is a common skin problem, and millions of people in the world have vitiligo. It is slightly common skin condition and which take a long period of time to recovered in normal cases. Most often presence of vitiligo causes emotional distress specially, when it affects on the face and other skin parts which remain open.

Vitiligo is considered a skin condition, but really it is an auto immune disease.
Anomalous production of an antibody due to some abnormalities in your own defense system, is the major reason for the destruction of skin pigment producing cells melanocytes. First a pale mark appear which is difficult to observe, in the beginning most often patient himself could not distinguish it easily. After some time it becomes whiter with passage of time as destruction of melanocytes continues on the skin area. Size of these white spots gradually increases and some time two small spots join to make a larger one.

There are different ways vitiligo disease can start. About in 20% sufferers getting vitiligo tendency is inherited. Most of the patient get it at 20.
Emotional stress due to the cosmetic appearance in also considered as an trigger of this skin disorder. Like psoriasis and some other skin conditions, vitiligo does not show the tendency to come and go over time.

White marks of depigmentation may occur due to the environmental change, like the an increase in the ratio of uv rays in sunlight. Because severe sun burning or prolong exposure to sun is also a sound cause of this skin disease. UV radiation are very energetic rays when strike skin surface can causes burning in the skin and damage skin cells.

Vitiligo disease has a trend to be worst in those with other auto immune disorder like Thyroid.

Segmental pattern vitiligo is the most common form of the vitiligo disease. Vitiligo is not an infectious or transmittable skin disease. Though it may run in families.

Vitiligo is chronic skin affliction that causes colorless white spots on skin. There are few skin conditions which cures and causes are not fully know to the dermatologist. And all cures for that condition based on the theoretical evidences. Vitiligo is also include in such diseases, But it will be more appropriate if you it a skin condition rather that skin disorder.

Vitiligo Cures

Currently it is assumed that for vitiligo no cure is yet discovered. One can not cure root causes of the ailment. However different treatment procedure are used by different medical professional or commercial organizations for the cure of vitiligo.

What are Vitiligo Causes

This is a question, for which there is no obvious answer yet found. Actually causes of vitiligo may vary from person to person. The exact knowledge about vitiligo triggers is essential regarding cures for vitiligo. Following factor may be the possible trigger for vitiligo

Abnormal behavior of Auto-Immune System
Emotional Anxiety
Ultra Violet Radiations
Inheritance or Genetic Factors

Melanocytes cell are key players in the pigmentation process of skin. With Melanocyte some other skin cells like keratinocytes and Langerhans are involve in pigmentation and hence in the causation of vitiligo.

An antigen produced in body due some defects in your own auto-immune system start destroying melanocytes cell. As a result a deficiency of melanocytes in a specific part of skin appears as a white patch of viltilgo.

Cure of vitiligo is not an easy of simple matter. In this blog in my two post I discussed the types of different treatment methods and the types of vitiligo.
There are many treatment procedures and medicines are available in the marketing for the cure of vitiligo as i discussed in my previous post, and every one providing treatment and cure claims that this is best treatment with affective result for cure of vitiligo. As for as concern with the treatment of vitiligo, Different people use the term cure in different meanings. Some use this term for complete recovery from illness, while others are concider only with re-pigmentation of the existing spots and the getting back of the original color of the body.
If people think that total annihilation of the disease from the body system, that is a tricky matter. Vitiligo results from some faults of your normal defense mechanisms against infection. The body begins to produce antibodies, which works against pigment producing cells of its own skin. No definite causes are known, and so are the remedies. Vitiligo is a very common anomaly of the immune system, and there are currently no acceptable permanent resources to stop this process.
The damage to pigment producing cells manifests as patches of skin, which have reduced, or no pigment. This is what bothers you, us and every one else.
You cannot cure vitiligo or halt it completely, but you can manage the local manifestations (white spots) using topical or oral treatments.
If you disease is not widely increased, and is limited you can go for a topical treatment.

Types of Vitiligo
There are many types of vitiligo under the two main types.

1.Generalized Vitiligo

(a)Vulgaris Vitiligo
Due to wide spread it may take long time for treatment and normally it is not easy to treat this type of vitiligo. Also surgery may not be an option for patients of vitiligo vulgaris.In vitiligo vulgaris small patches of vitiligo are spread in a pattern like shower admixed with normal skin in segmental or acrofacial pattern.
This is the most common type with bilaterally symmetrical lesions, predominantly distributed over face, neck, torso, fingers, toes, palms, soles and facial orifices.

(b)Acrofacial vitiligo
Acrofacial vitiligo is very common distribution of the disease in this type of vitiligo the white spot are restricted to parts away from the center of the body.
Affecting distal extremities and face. Some patches on face and some on other body parts, but not on all over the body.
the disease effects the exposed parts of the body such as head , face , feet and hand, therefore it also causes the great emotional distress.

(c)Universal vitiligo
It is also called vitiligo totalis, this type of disease cover almost all the body except some parts of the body like islands. Only choice for the treatment is permanent medical bleaching.

2. Localized Vitiligo

(a)Focal pattern vitiligo
In focal vitiligo a single patch on face, hand or leg with no other occurrences of disease on other body parts.
A light topical treatment is enough for the cure of focal pattern vitiligo and also small cosmetic surgery and tattooing are enough for such vitiligo.

(b)Segmental pattern vitiligo
It is often called Lip Tip vitiligo because it is mostly limited to lips , distal parts of the fingers and toes. It is most difficult to treat segmental vitiligo.
Segmental vitiligo has quasi-dermatomal pattern with one or more spots. These patches are of irregular shap and asymmetric in distribution.
One or more patches are distributed within the same segment (anatomical distribution of the body) of the body.

Vitiligo

White spots appeared on the areas exposed to the sun, hand feet, arm, face and neck etc are called vitiligo. Vitiligo is a skin condition or one say a skin disease in which melanin (pigmenting substance responsible for skin color) production disturbed.

Some time vitiligo is called pigmentation disorder in the human skin. The human skin contains special skin cells called melanocytes. Actually these cell t produce the pigment melanin which provide color of the skin. When melanocytes and mucous membranes tissues that is situated inside the mouth, nose, genital and rectal areas and the retina of the eyes are destroyed resulting the white patches of vitiligo.
These white patches of skin may appear on different parts of the body. Vitiligo may also causes the turn of color of hairs into white above the area affected by vitiligo.

Vitiligo has a close relation with autoimmune system of the body, and it is not wrong if we say that vitiligo is a common anomaly of the immune system that result in white spots on in the body. Case study shows that there are currently no acceptable permanent means to halt this process and exact reason of vitiligo is unknown. When we talk about the cure of vitiligo, we deals with eliminating the white spots weather root cause is addressed or not. Sunburn is a common symptom of vitiligo.

Today there are dozens of different methods in used for the treatment of vitiligo but there in no exact theory regarding the causes of vitiligo. One famous theory says some toxic material produced in the body which destruct the melanocytes cells.

Vitiligo Treatment

Vitiligo is a generalized abnormality of your immune system that result in white spots on your body; and there are currently no acceptable permanent means to halt this process. When we say treating vitiligo, it means eliminating the white spots weather root cause is addressed or not.

Vitiligo can be categorized into following
1. Localized Vitiligo:
Focal pattern vitiligo
Segmental pattern vitiligo
2.Generalized Vitiligo:
Acrofacial vitiligo
Vulgaris Vitiligo
Universal vitiligo

The following are the possible treatment options for vitiligo skin disorder.

Home Remedies
Alternate treatments
Oral therapies with natural Psoralen
Topical therapies using natural Psoralen
Homeopathic
Ayer Vedic
Prescription Medicine
Topical steroid therapy
Psoralen photochemotherapy
Surgical Therapy
Autologous skin grafts
Skin grafts using blisters
Autologous melanocyte transplants
Totooing

Home Remedies

Various methods and remedies are used by the effected people for this disease which range from simple dietary modifications to ingestion of psoralen. The benefits are as variable as the nature of remedies. The most effective of all these is the use of psoralen but there use without supper vision of expert has a high potential of side effects which may preclude their use.

Alternate treatments

Psoralens are a group of naturally occurring, substances, which can sensitize human skin to the tanning effect of UV light (Sun light), thereby enhancing pigmentation. It is for this important quality, that they have been used with success, to treat vitiligo since ages.

Psoralen is found naturally in the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia, which is an important plant in the Ayuvedic system of Indian medicine. It is also found in common fig, parsley, West Indian satinwood and celery.

Oral Psoralen Therapy
It is commonly even as a domestic remedy for vitiligo, in which the plant Psoralea corylifolia is ingested in various recipes. A common example is soaking the planet parts in water over night and drinking the water in the morning.

The remedy is fairly effective when combined with sun exposure, but very few people will continue to use it because of the following reasons.

Extremely unpleasant taste
Large quantities are usually required for oral intake which is very
cumbersome
Intolerance and side effects in form of nausea and allergic symptoms
Unwanted over pigmentation of the whole body
The pigmentation is usually temporary which is lost gradually on cessation of treatment
Precautions: Psoralen is a very potent substance, and should not be used without adequate knowledge in its use.

Topical psoralen therapy
Application of the medicine on target skin area is a very vise and convenient alternative to oral ingestion. It can sensitize the skin even locally, which would subsequently gain color on sun exposure.
Various methods of local applications are recommended by different authorities e.g. extracts, oils and concoctions. In which the substance is used alone or in complex recipes along with other herbal materials.

Anti-Vitiligo which is currently the most potent treatment for vitiligo contains psoralean corylifolia in the strength of 8% W/W, along with three other constituents which modulate and enhance the action of this photo sensitizer. This combination has yielded almost permanent re-pigmentation compared with the temporary effect of oral psoralin threpy.

Homeopathy
Homeopathy like the allopathic medicine believes vitiligo to be a systemic disease, with localized expression. They however differ in the treatment approach, because homeopathy does not offer any localized topical remedy. It aims at detection and restoration of abnormalities in the constitution of the body. This necessarily means that the patient has to be treated and supervised by homeopathic professional.

Ayurvedic
Ayurvedic includes herbal/ natural remedial systems in addition to certain other disciplines like surgery and use of heavy metals. The treatment approach for vitiligo is similar to herbal/ all natural approach. Some of the experts also recommend therapeutic vomiting and purgation for vitiligo.

Prescription Medicine

Prescription medicine use either topical steroid or psoralen and oral psoralen. Prescription medicines are those therapies which are regulated by public laws and their sales is generly prehibted without prescription form a medical professional. Their advantages and side effects are scientifically studied and have a large evidence base to back them up. The main disadvantage how ever they are very expensive and not as effective in vitiligo as some of the herbal products are.

Topical Steroid Therapy
Steroids are fairly potent suppressor of immunity and can hence be of benefit in auto-immune diseases. They are commonly used in the form of topical creams and ointments during the early stages of vitiligo. Milder steroids are used for the children and potent ones for the adults. They are usually recommended for a period of three months and the effect is generally temporary. Local and systemic side effects may limit the use of these agents for prolonged duration.

Steroids are chemically related to cortisol, the major hormone produced by adrenal glands. They are less potent than psoralen photochemotherapy in the treatment of vitiligo.

Psoralen Photochemotherapy
Psoralens are a group of naturally occurring, substances, which can sensitize human skin to the tanning effect of UV light (Sun light), thereby enhancing pigmentation. It is for this important quality, that they have been used with success, to treat vitiligo since ages.

Psoralen is found naturally in the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia, which is an important plant in the Ayuvedic system of Indian medicine. It is also found in common fig, parsley, West Indian satinwood and celery.

Surgical Therapy

Autologous skin grafts
The pigment containing skin from one area of the body is surgically shifted to an area where there is no pigment. The success is usually no predictable and the result may more un-acceptable than the base-line. When the cost, the hassle and the risk of surgical complication like scarring and infection are added, it becomes a fairly risk option to go for.

Skin grafts using blisters
It is a variation in the technique of skin grafting, in which blisters on the pigment containing skin are artificially created and then cut out to be transplanted at the required site. The risk of scaring is less than the standard technique but success in the form of re-pigmentation is not very encouraging.

Autologous melanocyte transplants
The pigment containing skin from one area of the body is surgically shifted to an area where there is no pigment. The success is usually no predictable and the result may more un-acceptable than the base-line. When the cost, the hassle and the risk of surgical complication like scarring and infection are added, it becomes a fairly risk option to go for.

Tatooing
Tattooing is used as a camouflage technique, but it is done with artificial pigments which are deposited into the skin, with the help of traditional tattooing needles or by surgical techniques in present scientific era. The accuracy of color match shall depend upon the skill of the person doing it. It will work best for darker skins, and the color may become lighter with the passage of time. There are risks of serious infections spreading through tattooing through traditional methods. Tattooing should only be carried out by certified licensed professional.

Source: http://www.antivitiligo.com/