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Cosmetic Surgery Procedures For Treating Vitiligo

25th October, 2012 - Posted by health news - No Comments

The main symptom of vitiligo is white blotches and spots on the body. These white patches occur when the pigment cells weaken or are destroyed. That means the body can’t manufacture skin pigment any more. In all other respects such as texture and properties, the skin appears to be normal. The exact cause of vitiligo is not known, but many doctors and researchers feel it could be the result of an autoimmune-related disorder.

Estimates are that one out of a hundred individuals in the world suffers from vitiligo. People of all ethnicities and both sexes can get this. More often than not, vitiligo continues to get worse until treated.

Cosmetic procedures that help treat vitiligo started to be used in 1964, and they have grown in use and variety over the years. Different people have seen various levels of success, with some achieving the ultimate goal of near total repigmentation of the skin. Four decades ago, there were two accepted procedures employed – melanocyte transplantation and autologous miniature punch graft. Therapeutic spot dermabrasion was tried and found successful in 1983 and from there, additional procedures were developed, such as cryosurgery and the carbon dioxide laser. 1993 saw the development of the melanocytic transplant procedure, which utilized extremely thin epidermal sheets. All of the cosmetic surgery procedures used today for vitiligo treatment have a track record of various levels of success.

The desired result for all cosmetic surgical procedures when it comes to vitiligo is the uniform repigmentation over the affected area with skin texture and color that is the same as the skin around it. The type of procedure used will depend on the area of the skin affected, shape of the area, etc. Every treatment has its pros and cons.

The goal for cosmetic surgery involving vitiligo is to put artifical pigments in the affect area. This is the essence of this treatment. The affected area should be carefully repopulated by the use of various grafts. Therapeutic wounding is applied to affected areas with the goal of raising the levels of melanocytes and increasing the growth of black hair follicles.

The premier UK team for this kind of procedure are located at the vitiligo treatment centre in London.

There can be as much as 95 percent success with re-pigmentation, although this will depend on how the patient responds to the treatment. It seems that patients who range from 20 to 30 years old and who have a darker skin tone will get the best results after undergoing cosmetic surgery for Vitiligo. It doesn’t seem that knees and elbows do well with this surgical procedure, but smaller areas do.

People who get a Vitiligo diagnosis get worried, since it carries a social stigma, although it’s actually quite prevalent and easily treated. Those who have Vitiligo can treat it using cosmetic surgery. It’s important for people to contact a professional as soon as possible and decide with type procedure would work best with their individual situation.