Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition that doesn’t have a discovered cure yet. The disease is uncommon and may affect people that also have other autoimmune diseases. In people with fair skin tones, vitiligo is less observable.
Vitiligo and Fair Skin Tones
Vitiligo may affect people with any skin tone. If the patient has a fair skin tone, the disease may not always be detected, as it may not be evident.
The disease will manifest through patches of discolored skin, which is due to the fact that the melanocytes in these areas are annihilated. The patches may affect the extremities and may extend to other areas as well, depending on how severe the condition is. Due to the light skin color, the depigmented skin patches may be hardly perceptible.
Vitiligo Management in People with Fair Skin Tones
In people with fair skin tones, vitiligo may be managed by avoiding sun exposure. In this manner, the skin will not get darker, and the contrast between the depigmented skin and normal skin will not be as visible as in people with darker skin. The sun should be avoided as much as possible, and protective clothes should be worn during periods with intensive sun (i.e. long sleeved shirts). Sun screen with a high SPF is also important to protect the skin.
The complete depigmentation of skin is a longer term solution that may be effective in patients with fair skin tones affected by vitiligo. In patients with fair skin tones, the procedure will be less complicated and will take less than 1 year to complete.
