White Patches(White Patch, White Spots)
As most of these appear in the younger age groups, these spots often have consequences far beyond the physical.
Kind of a chronic skin disorder, this condition results in the change in color of the skin. The surgery is a proven method to achieve complete repigmentation of the skin which has lost its color due to the disorder in the pigment called “Melanin”. In light of the sensitivity of this problem, we at AESTHETIQUE handle the issue very delicately.
Medical Term: Leucoderma And Vitiligo
Candidacy
- Stable white spots- not progressed in size over the last year
- No signs of activity. eg: redness
- White patches over a limited area of the body
Benefits of White Patch Surgery
- The treatment re-pigments the area
Causes
- Vitiligo
- After severe trauma and cuts
- Post-burns
Procedures
Anaesthesia: Under General Anaesthesia/Local Anesthesia
Duration of procedure: 1 to 4 hours depending on size and number of sites.
The pigment cells (Melanocytes) of our body, which are missing in the white patches, are impregnated into this skin. This is achieved in two steps.
- Step-1: Preparing the white patch of skin to accept donor cells. This is done by dermabrasion of the area with a diamond-tipped laser.
- Step-2: The transfer is achieved in one of 2 ways
- Ultra-thin skin graft (This is usually harvested from the inner thigh. It heals fast and well, leaving minimal tell-tale marks)
- Chemical Separation (A small thin patch of skin is taken and a chemical process separates the melanocyte cells. These are then sprayed on the recipient side)
Inpatient/Outpatient Procedure
It is usually an outpatient procedure, that is, the patient can go home the same day.
- Healing on the recipient site takes 7-10 days
- Healing on the donor site takes 10-14 days
- Resuming normal work can take upto 7-10 days 0r 14-21 days if the area is larger
- Any strenuous activities or visits to the gym can be done after about 2-3 weeks
- The initial result will be seen within a month and the best of it at around 3-6 months
Permanent
Side effects
Halo effect – usually temporary unless the disease spread becomes active.
Other treatment options
A skin condition where smooth, irregular white patches appear on the skin of any part of the body due to the destruction of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes). The most common places are the face, neck, eyes, nostrils, nipples, navel, genitalia, body folds (armpits, groin) etc.
Medical term: melanocytes
Vitiligo can affect any area of your skin, but most commonly occurs on skin that is exposed to the sun, such as your face, neck and hands. Vitiligo is more noticeable in people whose skin is dark or tanned. The condition varies from person to person. For example, some people only get a few small, white patches that progress no further. Other people get bigger white patches that join up across large areas of their skin. In the western world, about one in 100 people develop vitiligo. The incidence in India is much higher. In about half of all cases, it begins before the age of 20, although it can occur at any age. Both men and women are equally affected. It is not clear what causes vitiligo. It is non-infectious and you can’t catch it from contact with an affected person.
The main symptom of vitiligo is flat, white spots or patches on your skin. The first white patch usually develops when the skin has been exposed to the sun. Vitiligo does not cause physical discomfort to your skin, such as itching, though this can happen in the colder months if the skin is not cared for, as is with normal-coloured skin.
- UV Therapy Daavlin
- Excimer laser, the latest laser machine to medically treat vitiligo patients
Facts that you should know
The treatment is effective on existing white patches but cannot and does not stop further white patches from developing. The areas affected have little or no melanin. Melanin is a dye-like substance that is produced by specialised skin cells called melanocytes, which give your skin its colour and protect it from the sun’s rays.
Before After
Schedule a Consultation
To schedule a private consultation please call us or request an appointment with Dr. Sandeep Sharma and one of our assistants will be happy to help you.