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Leucoderma health information Vitiligo, commonly known as leukoderma, is a chronic skin condition in which the patient loses skin pigmentation, leading to irregular, pale patches. The patches first appear at extremities, and then gradually grow larger and spread across the body. Unfortunately, the disorder is complex and still not fully understood.
Treatment options too are relatively limited and not entirely successful. One natural remedy that works with some patients is sunlight. Exposure to sunlight sometimes sets off the regeneration of the melanocytes in affected areas of skin, thus bringing back pigmentation.
On the other hand, sunlight can often be harmful to people suffering from leukoderma. Due to the lack of melanin, skin becomes more sensitive and susceptible to sunburn and even skin cancer.
In addition, for people with a naturally light skin color, staying out of sunlight helps avoid the tanning of still pigmented skin, thus minimizing the contrast between pigmented and un-pigmented areas and keeping the condition relatively unnoticeable. Apart from this there are a number of treatment options available, including phototherapy and certain specialized creams. Some patients choose to undergo chemical depigmentation, preferring a complete depigmentation, with an even skin color. Recently, doctors have also been experimenting quite successfully with repigmentation, by transplanting healthy melanocytes to vitiligo-affected areas.
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