What Is Possible Laser Treatment for Vitiligo?

Q:
What is possible laser treatment for vitiligo?

A:
Vitiligo is a disease characterized by patches of white, depigmented skin. Vitiligo is caused by a complete absence of melanin, the body’s skin-pigmenting chemical, in patches of affected skin. In addition to the disfiguring concerns, these skin areas are sun sensitive and have an increased risk of skin cancer.

Recently, a French study shows that combining a special laser therapy and a skin ointment called tacrolimus may be better at helping repigment skin affected by vitiligo. French doctor treated the lesions with laser therapy twice a week for a total of 24 sessions, using an excimer laser. In addition, patients also applied 0.1% topical tacrolimus twice daily to a selected group of lesions. However, whether laser treatment is truly satisfatory remains to be proved.

key words: laser treatment for vitiligo