Vitiligo is said to only affect aesthetics, this is an explanation from a dermatologist

JAKARTA, celebrities.id – Vitiligo is the disease that causes skin color to fade. This disease is not found in newborns and can be cured.

Many people think that vitiligo is just an aesthetic problem. So is it true?

Dermatologist and Venereologist, Dr. Reiva Farah Dwiyana, SpKK(K), vitiligo can simply be said to be an aesthetic problem. However, vitiligo also has a relationship with systemic problems. Vitiligo is usually suffered by those who have autoimmunity. Vitiligo occurs because melanocytes in the skin is damaged by the body’s own immune system.

Unfortunately, melanocytes are not only found in the skin but can also be found in the hair, eyes, ears, and the central nervous system.

“That’s why, in rare cases, people with vitiligo also experience what is called Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome,” said Dr. Reiva at the ‘I’m Alive with Selflove’ Webinar initiated by Regenesis, Wednesday (22/6/ 2022).

Because vitiligo is closely related to the patient’s autoimmune, then the treatment must be comprehensive. This means that not only the vitiligo is treated, but the patient will also undergo a series of autoimmune treatments.

“During autoimmune vitiligo patient not handled properly, yes, the vitiligo will never go away. It will always appear again and again if you only focus on treating vitiligo,” said Dr. Reiva.

Well, talking about complications from vitiligo, explained Dr. Reiva, so far the most obvious complications from vitiligo are mental problems. Many vitiligo patients have mental problems.

“In fact, not a few of them have thoughts of committing suicide because they feel imperfect due to their vitiligo,” he said.

When it comes to skin cancer, Dr. Reiva emphasized that because there are no melanocytes in these vitiligo patients, it means that they are at very low risk of developing skin cancer.

“So, a kind of ‘blessing in disguise’, people with vitiligo are less likely to develop skin cancer,” said Dr. Reiva.

Editor: Leonardus Selwyn Kangsaputra

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