This page focuses on the "other therapies"--treatments that are less
widely used or are less drastic (i.e. cosmetics).

Excimer Laser
To put it simply, an excimer laser is a highly concentrated beam of UV
light that is directed at patches of Vitiligo without affecting the
pigmented skin around them. The goal of this procedure is to repigment
the white patches to match the surrounding skin. 

The good thing is that this treatment does not require any additional drugs
to aid in the repigmentation process, unlike procedures such as PUVA. Another
bonus is the fact that this treatment has virtually no side effects! Sounds
too good to be true... The only downside is that excimer laser treatment is
much more expensive than the other methods, and is also not usually covered
by health insurance.


Micropigmentation (Tattooing)
Micropigmentation is a lot like getting a tattoo. A special surgical instrument
is used to implant pigment (iron oxide is the most frequently used dye) into
the skin--in this case, the Vitiligo patches. This type of treatment works
best for the lip area, especially in darker-skinned patients. It is difficult
to exactly match the artificial pigment color with the surrounding skin however,
and the results of tattooing tend to fade over time. A side effect is a blister
outbreak around the lips caused by the herpes simplex virus.




Autologous Melanocyte Transplant
Please note that this procedure is fairly new and is still in the experimental
stages. I just thought it should be mentioned because it seems very promising!
In this procedure, a sample of the patient's normally pigmented skin is placed
in a petri dish containing a cell culture solution to grow melanocytes. These
new melanocytes are then transplanted into the patient's depigmented skin patches.
It sounds expensive, but hopefully this treatment will give the patient some
permanent results!


Cosmetics
Using a cosmetic may not seem like a type of treatment, but it does serve to
cover patches of Vitiligo quite well, and for a much lower price! Cosmetic
products can be especially helpful for people with smaller amounts of Vitiligo
and who do not want to spend all that time and money actual therapies. The
popular products Dermablend, Lydia O'Leary, Clinique, Fashion Flair, Vitadye,
and Chromelin offer makeup or dyes that are great for covering up depigmented
patches.




Sunscreens
Vitiligo spots are more susceptible to burning in the sun, so wear sunscreen
that provides protection from both UVA and UVB forms of ultraviolet light.
Sunscreen will also minimize tanning, which means the difference between
normal and depigmented skin will be less noticeable. Sunscreen is also a very
good idea for people without Vitiligo too. ;)


Counseling and Support Groups
Many Vitiligo patients find it helpful and therapeutic to get counseling from
a mental health professional. You can talk to your counselor about issues that
are hard to discuss with anyone else. It may also be helpful to attend a Vitiligo
support group in order to learn how to cope. Talking with others is extremely
important in the process of gaining back your confidence.