Vitiligo is a condition that causes white patches to appear on the skin due to a loss of melanin. The exact cause of the condition is unknown, although certain risk factors may exist. Seeking treatment to stop the progression of vitiligo is available, and patients should explore all of their options. Treatment may range from a few dollars for home remedies to several hundred for others.
Home Remedies
Treatment for vitiligo may be as simple as using sunscreen and cosmetics to reduce the appearance of the white patches on the skin. Sunscreen starts at just $5 or $6 at the local drug store, while cosmetics may be as cheap as $10. Higher priced options also exist, some costing as much as $100 or $200, but patients should speak with a skincare professional to determine which is right for them.
Medical Treatment Options
If home remedies such as cosmetics and sunscreen are not successful or do not provide satisfactory results, various topical treatments are available that work to provide relief. Narrowband ultraviolet therapies may also be successful, while orally taken medications are also available.
Surgical Options
Surgical options such as tattooing are also available. Grafting methods that remove small patches of skin from other areas of the body and places them over small white patches are also used to treat vitiligo. Vitiligo treatments are designed to add pigment to white patches on the skin, or take pigment away from other areas to create a more even skin tone. The price of these treatments varies from one clinic to another so the best way to determine cost is to consult the clinic directly. Also be sure to talk to your insurance carrier to determine what treatments they will cover.
