Leucoderma is a skin disease characterised by the depigmentation of the skin. It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system starts attacking the melanin cells in the body, causing the discoloration of skin and formation of white patches.
Why Treat Leucoderma?
The disease is rather painless and many people choose to live with it. But in most cases, it can take a toll on a person’s confidence and self-esteem. The patient may get distressed about the way his/her skin looks and cut off from the social world. Many times, the society also treats people suffering from leucoderma differently, which can be another setback for the patient. All this can lead a person to depression and suicidal tendencies. So, leucoderma should be taken as a medical disease rather than a cosmetic problem and must be given prompt treatments.
Treatment Options
People have believed since long that there is no possible way a person can treat leucoderma. But that is not true. Leucoderma is incurable, and there is no way that it could be cured. But there are many treatment options available using which you can reduce the effect of the disease and control it from spreading further.
You can use home remedies such as baabchi seeds and put yourself on diet control. A proper diet will help control the situation to a great extent. There are many other medical treatments available that you can take upon consultation with the doctor.
Many topical creams and ointments such as corticosteroids and immunomodulator are helpful in treating the white patches. You shall have to apply these creams and ointments twice daily for successful results. These corticosteroids and immunomodulators are also available as oral medications. The frequency of oral medications depends upon the severity of the disease. They are generally recommended twice weekly. However, corticosteroids are used in breaks, often combined with other treatments.
Another treatment option that can be considered is calcipotriene which is a form of Vitamin D. It is available as a topical ointment and generally used along with corticosteroids. Such drugs and ointments have been very helpful in restoration of skin color. There are other ointments containing tacrolimus or pimecrolimus. These ointments attack the immune system and control the actions that affect the melanin cells. There are also drugs known as calcineurin inhibitors that are helpful in treating small patches of depigmentation.
Psoralen can also be used, but it is used along with phototherapy as it is a light sensitizing medication and enhances the effectiveness of phototherapy. Psoralen is available both as topical creams or ointments or as oral medications.
Whatever be the treatment option you choose; you will have to be patient. It will take atleast 3months for the medications to start responding. We have all these medical treatments available and we offer them after a thorough diagnosis to keep you free from side effects. All these treatments can help you long way in reducing your suffering. So, don’t choose to live with the problem, instead fight, treat and take a toll on the disease instead of letting the disease take a toll on you!