Vitiligo in Boston, MA

Vitiligo affects nearly one percent of the population, and for those that have it, it can cause self-consciousness, embarrassment, and even anxiety. Vitiligo eliminates the cells in a person's body that develops skin color. For those people, they will lose their skin color or have a white pigmentation to their skin. These areas of white skin can develop on the hands, feet, arms, face, mouth, genitals, or even in the ears. At Skin Center Boston, dermatologist Dr. Vladyslava Doktor can help Boston, Newton, Chestnut Hill, and surrounding area men and women diagnose and treat their vitiligo.

While it's unknown what exactly causes vitiligo, there are a few things researchers have come to learn. The condition does not appear to be generic, although a family history of autoimmune disorders may put a person at higher risk. About 20 percent of the people with vitiligo have some other form of an autoimmune disorder, such as lupus, Addison's disease, Type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, thyroiditis, and more. It has been linked that certain incidents, such as severe sunburns or cuts, exposure to toxins and other chemicals, and high levels of stress, can all be precursors in developing vitiligo. Contact dermatologist Dr. Vladyslava Doktor of Skin Center Boston today for more information on what causes vitiligo.

At Skin Center Boston, we want our Boston, Natick, Chestnut Hill, and surrounding area patients to feel comfortable in their own skin. If you notice signs of vitiligo or white patches developing on your skin, contact us for a consultation today. This disorder can cause a lot of negative side effects for people psychologically. If you're avoiding physical activities or social events, feel depressed or anxious, or a taxing emotional burden, Dr. Vladyslava Doktor can help you with a variety of different treatment options to regain your skin color and confidence.

The most common symptom of vitiligo is white patches on the skin. Ranging in size, these patches can appear virtually anywhere on the body. They seem to present themselves in one of two ways: segmental (or focal) and non-segmental (or generalized). When a person has symptoms of segmental vitiligo, they will tend to have smaller white patches in just one or a few areas of their skin. People may see these patches for about a year, then it can stop. Non-segmental vitiligo is more widespread and progresses faster than segmental vitiligo. People with this form will likely notice symmetrical patches on both sides of the body. Non-segmented vitiligo is also known to start and stop many times throughout a person's life.

Dermatologist Dr. Vladyslava Doktor wants her patients to feel comfortable and confident in their own skin so she strives to provide accurate diagnosis and create treatment plans that will slow down and/or stop vitiligo and restore color to the skin. Treatment plans will vary, depending on the severity, location, amount, and how widespread the patches are. However, typical treatments include topical creams that can return color and/or slow the growth, oral medications like certain antibiotics and steroids, as well as UV and laser treatments. In the event that none of these options work, there are surgical options available. During a consultation, Dr. Doktor will discuss the different options, pros and cons, and help her patients make an educated decision on which treatment will likely serve them best.