hyper hypo depigmentation, white spot disease, vitiligo
The therapy of the depends of course on the type of pigment disorder that is present. In general, however, it can be said that most pigment disorders are harmless and therefore do not necessarily require therapy at all. If the pigment disorder is due to the use of medication, therapy should be avoided in any case, since the skin changes recede of their own accord after the medication is discontinued.
If treatment does take place, this is usually due to the patient’s wish, because he or she considers the skin change to be psychologically stressful. If the disease is perceived as disturbing, it can be treated cosmetically, if necessary supplemented by psychological care, depending on how much the affected person suffers from the disorders. One can cover the pigmentation spots with the help of various cosmetics (so-called camouflage).
On larger areas of skin affected by hypopigmentation, skin-lightening agents or self-tanning lotions can also be used, although it should not be forgotten that this is only an artificial tan, which, unlike the melanin produced by the body, does not provide protection against UV light. In addition, bleaching agents with active ingredients such as hydroquinone can also be used in this variant of pigment disorder. However, this should be carefully considered and discussed with a doctor, as side effects or irregular bleaching effects can often occur and the bleaching cannot be reversed.
Also in the case of white spot disease, patients often refrain from therapy, but are advised to go into the sun so that the white spots will blend in with the rest of the skin. In addition, taking tablets or capsules containing ?-carotene can cause the bright spots to take on a slightly orange tint, which is less pronounced than the normally pigmented areas of the skin. In extreme cases, individual altered areas of the skin can be specifically irradiated with specific light to restore the pigmentation (re-pigmentation).
Albinism is not yet treatable, but patients should be relieved of their visual impairment and/or increased sensitivity to light by wearing tinted glasses. Consistent sun protection should also be ensured. Prevention of pigmentation disorders is only possible to a limited extent, as they can have a wide variety of causes, some of which cannot be avoided (for example, if they are hormonal or hereditary factors). In general, however, care should be taken not to expose the skin to excessive sunlight (
