Vitiligo is a condition under which pale white patches form upon the skin; the main reason behind the condition remains to be a lack of melanin, which is a skin pigment. Vitiligo can affect any area of the skin, but most commonly, it appears on the face, neck, hands, and in the skin creases. Over time the pale areas of the skin become more vulnerable to sunburn; hence it becomes essential to take due care and use sunscreen with a high protection rating.

Although Vitiligo can appear on any part of the body but some of the most commonly affected areas include.

• Mouth and Eyes
• Fingers and wrists
• Armpits
• Groin
• Genitals
• Insides of the mouth

In some instances, Vitiligo can develop at the roots of the hairs on the scalp. The lack of melanin in your skin can turn the hairs in the affected area white or grey. As Vitiligo progresses, the patches formed on the skin gradually turn white; in some instances, the color of the path could be a feeble pink. The edges of the patch can be smooth or irregular. In certain cases, these edges could be red and inflamed or showcase brownish discoloration.

The condition can vary from person to person. Some might only get a few patches. Others might get more extensive patches that join across the skin. There usually is no way of predicting how much skin would be impacted, but the white marks left behind are permanent.

Types of Vitiligo

There exist two prominent types of Vitiligo; these include

• Non-segmental Vitiligo
• Segmental Vitiligo
• Complete Vitiligo- a condition in which Vitiligo affects your whole body.

Vitiligo is majorly caused by the skin’s lack of pigment known as melanin. Melanin is produced by skin cells called melanocytes, providing your skin with its naturally occurring shade. When the body is deprived of enough melanocytes to produce enough melanin in your skin, depravity leads to white patches that appear on your skin and hair.

Autoimmune conditions

The presence of Autoimmune conditions means that instead of attacking foreign and alien cells, the body ends up attacking the immune system and attacks the body’s healthy cells and tissue. In the case of non-segmental Vitiligo, your immune system devastates melanocyte skin cells that make melanin. In certain cases, Vitiligo can be triggered by particular events, such as

• Stressful events, such as childbirth
• Skin damage, severe sunburn, or cuts ( known as koebner response)
• Prolonged exposure to certain hazardous chemicals which affects the skin.

Stem Cell Therapy for Vitiligo

Hair follicle melanocytes play an essential role in the repigmentation of Vitiliginous lesions. Migration of the precursor melanocytes in the mid portion of the hair follicle, later found to be MelSC’s, have been implicated in the repigmentation obtained following both chemical and physical stimulus. According to research in cases of Vitiligo, there was selective destruction of selective DOPA- positive melanocytes, whereas the DOPA–negative MelSCs in the outer root sheath of the hair follicle were spared. These MelSC are supposed to be responsible for repigmentation in Vitiligo by dividing and migrating upward along the surface of the hair follicle nearby epidermis. Research done in a mouse model showcased that HFSCs in the bulge section region could migrate up into the epidermis to cause perifollicular repigmentation, which later spread in a concentric pattern causing diffused repigmentation. These observations suggested that SLF provided new routes connecting the follicular ores and the epidermis, along which the melanoblasts can migrate to occupy vacant niches. For Stem Cell Therapy In India, Stem Cell Care India could be one of the best healthcare providers; contact them today and schedule your treatment.