Hair vitiligo is a condition that affects the hair and scalp. It causes areas of the scalp to become white while the surrounding hair remains its natural color. This condition is usually caused by an autoimmune disorder, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the melanocytes responsible for producing pigment in the skin and hair. It can cause significant psychological distress for those affected and physical discomfort due to itching and burning sensations. While there is no known cure for this condition, treatments are available to reduce its appearance and help keep the scalp healthy. In this blog post, we’ll talk about the warning signs of hair vitiligo and ways to treat it to feel confident again!
What Is Hair Vitiligo?
Hair vitiligo is characterized by a lack of pigment called melanin in the skin. It’s produced by skin cells called melanocytes that give your skin its color. When you develop hair vitiligo, there are not enough working melanocytes to produce enough melanin in your skin. As a result, it causes white patches to develop on your skin or hair. Because of this condition, it so happens that your hair might turn white or silver. It occurs when your body’s immunity system tends to destroy melanocytes and cause white patches on your hair.
What Causes Hair Vitiligo?
Hair vitiligo is a condition in which hair turns white or gray, resulting from the loss of melanin in the hair follicles. The exact cause of this condition is unknown. Still, it is believed to be the result of an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys melanin-producing cells. Medical professionals may perform blood tests and biopsies to better understand the cause of hair vitiligo and rule out other possible underlying conditions. Other potential causes of this condition may include genetics, sun exposure, stress, and other environmental factors.
Symptoms Of Hair Vitiligo
One of the most common symptoms of hair vitiligo is the whitening or graying hair on your scalp. It also includes the whitening of eyelashes, eyebrows, or beards. On the other hand, if you see your hair is losing color, you should know you’re developing hair vitiligo. This might lead to permanent graying of hair as well.
Treatment Options For Hair Vitiligo
Hair vitiligo is treated with the help of medications. However, no specific remedy is available to stop vitiligo from affecting your skin. Still, certain drugs can slow the speed of pigmentation loss. This helps the melanocyte to regrow and bring back the color of your hair. In addition, light therapy is considered an effective treatment option for helping return the color of hair or skin. Your dermatologist will use light boxes, ultraviolet rays, and lasers directed at your skin or hair for a short time. This may require varied light therapy sessions to see positive results on your hair.
Conclusion
Hair vitiligo is a condition that affects many people and can be a source of distress and low self-esteem. Although it is a condition that is not curable, there are treatments available that can help improve the hair’s appearance, such as corticosteroids, light therapy, and topical medications. These treatments may only be effective for some. Still, they can improve the appearance and may help reduce the feelings of distress from living with hair vitiligo.
Additionally, other treatments such as camouflage makeup, wigs, and hair extensions can help to improve the appearance of the hair and improve the person’s overall self-image. Although this definite condition is not curable, it is possible to manage it and its symptoms. With the right treatments and support, living a happy and fulfilling life is possible despite having it. Consult your dermatologist if you see some of its significant signs.
FAQs
Q1: Is hair vitiligo genetic?
A: Most studies have shown that it is genetic to some extent. It means that the condition is hereditary and can pass on for generations.
Q2: Can vitiligo turn hair black?
A: If you have the condition, your hair might turn white or silver, and it does not turn your hair black!
Q3: Does vitiligo affect anything other than hair?
A: Vitiligo affects your skin badly, in which you experience patchy loss of skin color and premature whitening or graying of hair on your scalp.