What disease causes your skin to turn white?
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What disease causes your skin to turn white?
Vitiligo occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) die or stop producing melanin — the pigment that gives your skin, hair and eyes color. The involved patches of skin become lighter or white.
Why is my skin turning bright white?
White spots on the skin often occur when skin proteins or dead cells become trapped under the skin’s surface. They may also occur as a result of depigmentation, or color loss. White skin spots are not usually a reason for concern and do not cause major symptoms.
Is white skin a disorder?
Vitiligo is a skin disorder in which smooth white areas (called macules or patches) appear on a person’s skin.
How do you treat white skin?
Therapies
- Light therapy. Phototherapy with narrow band ultraviolet B (UVB) has been shown to stop or slow the progression of active vitiligo.
- Combining psoralen and light therapy.
- Removing the remaining color (depigmentation).
How do I know if I have vitiligo at home?
There are no at-home tests available to diagnose vitiligo. However, you can do a general self-check of your skin and look for patchy or widespread loss of pigmentation (the coloring of your skin, hair, and eyes).
How do I know if I have vitiligo or something else?
Loss of skin color in patches, usually seen first on your face, hands, arms, legs, and feet. Premature whitening of your body hair, including facial hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows. Loss of color of the tissues inside your nose. Changes in or loss of color in your eyes.
Is there a blood test for vitiligo?
Diagnostic Tools Our dermatologists often diagnose vitiligo based solely on a physical examination. If doctors need more information about how the condition affects your skin cells, they may suggest a skin biopsy or blood test.