Benefits and risks It can have an effect on the body’s immune system, making users more likely to get colds and coughs.
Some cancers are already being treated with a stronger version of the same medication in pills.
Some people who used the cream to treat vitiligo developed acne and redness in the area of their skin where it was applied. However, it worked well for nonsegmental vitiligo, which is the most common type and causes depigmentation in the form of patches or blotches on both sides of the body.
One in six people who used it twice a day saw almost complete repigmentation within three months, and approximately half of those who used it twice a day saw a significant improvement.
A tube costs $2,000 (£1,660) on the market in the United States, where it has already been approved for use.
It appears that European regulators will also recommend it for adults over the age of 12.
What is vitiligo and how does it develop?
It is believed that vitiligo is an autoimmune condition in which the person’s own body begins to attack skin cells that produce protective pigment. Sun damage-prone white patches or blotches appear as a result of this.
Everyone can get vitiligo, but people of color have it more easily. It is neither contagious nor infectious.
Living with vitiligo can be emotionally devastating, leading to feelings of depression, low self-esteem, and even suicidal ideation, according to experts.
Vitiligo: According to Dr. Viktoria Eleftheriadou of the British Association of Dermatologists, some people with vitiligo may feel like they have lost their ethnic identity due to the shame and stigma that are prevalent in South Asian communities.
She stated: Because the condition is more obvious in people with darker skin tones, people of color may be at a higher risk for it.”
She asserts that giving people the option of treatment would be beneficial.
One of the most well-known models in the world, Winnie Harlow, has accepted her vitiligo rather than attempting to hide her patches, even though she has stated that she found.
She now considers the condition of her skin to be one of her “greatest gifts.”
Since I was a young girl, it has taught me how to use it as a megaphone: to shout out louder, be more proud, and always be driven by love and passion. It’s assisted me with looking past my own cover – and every other person’s, as well.”
“There is a gap between the average model and the average person on the street,” according to Emma Rush, founder and chief executive of Vitiligo Support UK. Although it is encouraging to see models raising public awareness, “there is a gap.”
She claims that having vitiligo on your face can be particularly distressing for a lot of people. It has now completely covered my face. Pictures of me from before I had it don’t look like me. It’s like I was someone else.
It helps avoid stares during the initial encounter.
In a society where appearances are everything, it can be a devastating experience.
When your appearance changes, people may make a lot of assumptions about who you are and where you come from.
“Some people say they feel like the disease has taken something from them or that they have lost a lot of their identity,”
She says having it as another treatment choice would be “a flat out boon”.
In her early 20s, Joti Gata-Aura, a teacher, was diagnosed with vitiligo. She claims that at that point, she would have been willing to try nearly anything to fix it.
She stated, “I was constantly looking for treatments.”
“I had not accepted my skin.”
Indian, I am. I’m not an Asian with fair skin; I have brown skin. Therefore, I stood out when I had vitiligo. I covered my skin for a very long time.
“I kept my skin so hidden.”
Her outlook has changed now that she is 45 years old; she promotes body positivity and mentors young people to help them develop self-confidence.
She asserts that identity remains a major issue. When I lost my pigment, I lost my identity. I haven’t been able to accept my white skin for so long.
She stated that individuals must make their own decisions regarding living with vitiligo.
“While I’m in a good place right now, I wasn’t in a good place when I was diagnosed, I think it is so important.” People are going through the same things I did twenty years ago. For many, this could be the light at the end of the tunnel.”
