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Vitiligo... Coverage and Cure

Home > Articles > Vitiligo... Coverage and Cure

Vitiligo... Coverage and Cure
July 2009

Imagine feeling perfectly healthy on the inside, but on the outside something looks wrong.

For millions of people who suffer from vitiligo, a disease in which patients experience a complete loss of pigment in localized areas of the skin, this feeling is one they know all too well. In a new study by dermatologist Henry W. Lim, MD, chairman of the department of dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Mich., the effectiveness of narrow-band UVB (NB-UVB) phototherapy as treatment for vitiligo was examined in a small sampling of patients. After completing an average of 19 treatments with NB-UVB phototherapy, five of the seven vitiligo patients that participated in the study showed greater than 75 percent repigmentation.

Vitiligo is often seen around the mouth and eyes, causing skin to become completely white. As a result, vitiligo can be cosmetically disfiguring, especially for dark-skinned people. Vitiligo affects 1 to 2 percent of the worldwide population and about half of the people who develop it do so before the age of 20. About one fifth of those with vitiligo have a family member with this condition. Vitiligo usually affects both sides of the body, and although the cause is generally not known, it is believed to be an autoimmune process.

During the twelve-month trial period, 11 patients participated in Dr. Lim's study. Therapy was administered three times a week and affected segments of the body were treated with NB-UVB, a light source that emits a very narrow spectrum of UVB, the portion of sunlight that causes sunburn. The dose of radiation was increased by 15 percent for each treatment. Once the desirable 75 percent repigmentation was achieved, the frequency of treatments was tapered to twice a week for four weeks, then weekly for an additional four weeks. Presently, there are only a few centers in the United States that have the capabilities for NB-UVB therapy; therefore patients undergoing this therapy have long distances to commute. Since NB-UVB therapy has been used in Europe since the mid-1980s, there has not been any evidence that it causes an increase in skin cancer.

Follow these steps when covering Vitiligo:

- Spritz a Flocked Sponge with Jane Iredale D2O until it is wet, but not soaked.

- Press the wet sponge into your shade of Jane Iredale Amazing Base Loose Minerals, creating a creamy consistency.

- With long, downward strokes, layer the minerals over the areas to be covered.

- Smooth out any visible lines with the sponge and allow to dry. The minerals will look lighter in the beginning but will dry to their correct color.

- Using the Chisel Powder Brush, apply a layer of dry Jane Iredale Amazing Base Loose Minerals over the entire face.

- If there are still areas that need more coverage, pick up a small amount of the loose minerals with the dry end of the Flocked Sponge, and roll and press into those areas.

- When you have sufficient coverage, run the brush or sponge down the entire face to remove any excess.

- Spritz with Jane Iredale D2O to set the minerals.