Posted by admin | Posted in Health | Posted on 05-10-2011
Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin disorder, or leukoderma, mainly characterized by a loss of the skin pigment melanin. The cause of vitiligo seems to be multi-factorial and there are several treatments available, medical and surgical. The response to vitiligo treatment may differ. People whose skin exposed to the sun are likely to be affected. The skin in vitiligo typically develops areas with blanched or white dots, macules or patches that sometimes itch and at times have hyper-pigmented borders. The degree of pigmentation loss (depigmentation) in vitiligo varies in severity, ranging from mild skin blanching to severe or complete depigmentation. Unpigmented patches frequently attach near body orifices such as the lips, genitals, gingiva, areolas, and nipples.
It occurs when melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function. The cause of vitiligo is still unknown, but research suggests that it may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress, neural, or viral causes. The incidence worldwide is less than 1%.
The treatment for vitiligo needs to be tailored to the specific patient. Not all patients will respond in the same way to treatment given. The medical treatment aims at encouraging repigmentation to take place in the depigmented areas. The source of remaining melanocytes to multiply is the hair follicles, the borders of some lesions, and a few spared epidermal melanocytes from the depigmentation process.
Michael Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo in 1986. In a 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey in February 1993, the King of Pop claimed that he didn’t bleach his skin, stating for the first time that he had vitiligo. A friend claimed he started wearing his signature sequin glove to cover the vitiligo that had started to appear in the early 80s. It was also claimed by Jackson during a leaked deposition tape in 1996, that he did not “bleach” his skin. The video tape was leaked months after his death in June 2009. This is further reinforced in the official autopsy report which confirms Michael Jackson’s diagnosis with the skin condition.
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