Vitiligo Treatment may consist of topical or medication treatment. Topical steroid therapy is commonly used in treating this skin disease, because the steroids will stimulate the melanine cells and may improve the appearance of depigmented areas.
Topical Steroids for Vitiligo
The exact causes of vitiligo are not known, but many specialists are of the opinion that this is an autoimmune condition. If this hypothesis is true, steroids are a good immune system suppressor and should be used in the treatment of vitiligo.
The topical creams containing steroids should be applied as soon as the disease starts to show its first signs. The creams may have various concentrations of steroids (mainly cortisol), and this will be determined by the dermatologist. Creams with a low concentration of steroids are available without prescription, but shouldn't be used without consulting a dermatologist first.
The creams should be applied two times per day, and this should be an ongoing treatment until the depigmented patches are no longer visible. The topical steroid therapy may work in some patients, while others may not respond to this type of treatment. However, the creams can be tested.
Oral Steroids
Oral steroids may also be administered to patients as a form of vitiligo treatment, because these drugs can stop the activity of the immune system, which may be responsible for the occurrence of the depigmented patches. Due to the many side effects of oral steroids, these should be administered only for short periods of time (i.e., 3 months) and in small doses.
