What Should I Do If I Have Had Vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a common acquired depigmentation disease of skin and mucosa that can occur anywhere on the body. Patients with vitiligo need active treatment, including general treatment, medication, and physical treatment. Here are the details:

1. General Treatment: It is recommended that patients maintain a good mindset, avoid emotional excitement and tension, and pay attention to combining work with rest to avoid overexertion. In terms of diet, they can appropriately increase the intake of food rich in tyrosine, such as lean meat, eggs, and milk. They should also avoid spicy and stimulating foods like chili and garlic.

2. Medication: If the white patches are small and few in number, patients can be treated with glucocorticoid drugs under the guidance of a doctor, such as Desonide Cream and Mometasone Furoate Cream. For patients with more severe conditions, oral prednisone tablets and prednisone acetate tablets can be prescribed. Additionally, calcineurin inhibitors can be used as adjuvant treatment, such as Tacrolimus Ointment and Pimecrolimus Cream.

3. Physical Treatment: It mainly includes phototherapy and laser therapy. Phototherapy promotes melanocyte production by irradiating the affected area with ultraviolet light. Laser therapy utilizes excimer laser or carbon dioxide laser to irradiate the affected area, destroying abnormal melanocytes and stimulating the proliferation of normal melanocytes.

4. Surgical Treatment: For patients with severe conditions, autologous epidermal grafting can be performed. This method involves extracting active melanocytes from normal skin, culturing them in vitro, and then transplanting them to the white patches to restore skin color. Regular follow-up visits are also required, and sun protection should be taken in daily life.