Depigmentation is a viable Vitiligo treatment using a cream. The purpose of the treatment is to depigment the entire body/affected area, resulting in an evenly white skin color. This treatment is not chosen by many patients, as some may consider having completely white skin (no pigments) unattractive.
Depigmentation Recommendations
The depigmentation therapy is a radical solution for patients with Vitiligo. The treatment will be recommended for patients that:
- Don't respond to any other type of Vitiligo treatment
- Have more than 50 percent of the body affected by Vitiligo patches
- Accept that the treatment may not be successful
The depigmentation treatment is applied using a cream containing mononbenzyl ether of hydroquinone 20 percent (MBEH) that will depigment the remaining patches of colored skin, affecting the melanocytes of the skin. The cream will be applied for several months on arms and legs, until the skin is completely white. After the members are discolored, the rest of the body may also be treated with the cream. The treatment of the entire body may last up to 2 years, depending on how the patient responds. The treatment is not painful, but requires patience.
Depigmentation Results
The results of the depigmentation treatment are not positive in all patients affected by Vitiligo. Some patients may have some remaining colored skin patches.
In some patients, the treatment with mononbenzyl ether of hydroquinone (MBEH) will result in a homogeneously white skin, which will no longer be associated with Vitiligo.
It must be noted that the treatment won't affect the melanocytes that control the color of the hair or the eyes, so these will remain of the original color.
