Vitiligo….Did You Know?

Did you know….That many people don't really know what Vitiligo is because it only affects less than 1% of the population?

Did you know….That anyone can get Vitiligo? All races, ages, genders and ethnicities are affected.

Here are some more interesting facts about Vitiligo and the different ways to treat it:

- Vitiligo is a disorder that causes depigmentation of the skin. White patches develop on different 
parts of the body that spread as the cells, or melanocytes, that create pigment in the skin are damaged.
- Most people begin seeing symptoms before the age of 40. 
- In the United States alone, nearly 2 million people have this condition.
- It can occur anywhere on the body – even inside the lips and mouth.- Vitiligo can even cause the hair to turn grey early, eliminating pigment from the areas where hair follicles exist.
- Official reports confirm that Michael Jackson did, in fact, have Vitiligo.
- No one really knows what causes Vitiligo.  It is possible that it is an autoimmune disease, it may be genetic, or it could be brought on by excess sun exposure or stress.  There is still no solid evidence for any of these potential causes.
- There are three types of Vitiligo in terms of patterns:
   1. Focal: depigmentation occurs only on one or several areas of the body
   2. Segmental: depigmentation occurs on one side of the body
   3. Generalized: depigmentation occurs over many areas of the body

The most disappointing fact about Vitiligo is that there is no cure.  There are, however, many treatments available.  According to the NBCI, “There are a variety of treatments available, most of which are unsatisfactory.”

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There are many treatment options for Vitiligo. Some include: light therapy, oral medication, surgical skin grafting and even conventional makeup. Factors to take into consideration regarding treatment options are side effects, success rate, financial burden (especially if the first or subsequent treatments do not work), time constraints and lifestyle.  If you are athletic, enjoy outdoor activities or live in a hot climate, for instance, using the makeup cover-up method may not be the best long-term plan for Vitiligo treatment.  Some brands of makeup for Vitiligo cover are excellent, but will only last so long.  Also consider the toxins in makeup and what must be in them in order to give them the ability to remain on the skin for long periods of time.  Eventually they do smear, run, and over time can become very costly.

Some treatments work, some don’t.  It can be a case of “hit or miss” when it comes to Vitiligo treatment, mainly due to the incapability to diagnose origination of the disorder in each individual.  Many of these treatments come with side effects and each one carries the possibility of simply not working or only working to a certain degree.  For some people, one of these methods may work perfectly!  For others, it may work only to 30 or 40% effectiveness. Or you may spend thousands of dollars and several days a week in a doctor’s office for long periods of time, or endure costly light therapies or painful surgeries, only to arrive at the end of the road with no results.

Many people are unaware that there is another option to treat and camouflage Vitiligo: Micropigmentation. Micropigmentation is different and it works.  A study by the NCBI reports that medical tattooing, or Micropigmentation, is an effective treatment for Vitiligo.  In fact, it states that the immediate results showed “dramatic aesthetic improvements” with minimal to no further fading.

Micropigmentation eliminates the need for costly surgeries, lengthy recovery time, frequent doctor visits, expensive medications and light equipment, pricey, inconvenient and toxic makeup, frightening side effects and more.  It never smears or runs, it doesn’t need to be constantly reapplied, there is no costly, painful surgery, and if your Vitiligo spreads or lightens to a higher degree, as Vitiligo often does, we can help you maintain it easily.

The process is simple.  Pigment is deposited into the lightened areas of the skin through special tattooing techniques. Don’t worry - a topical numbing cream is used to minimize any discomfort.  We build up the perfect color for each area in stages, using our training and experience in color theory, one of our many critical skills. Each area of the body can be slightly different in color due to condition, sun exposure and other factors.  Also, matching the skin colors as precisely as possible is our top priority. What sets us apart from other micropigmentation artists (also known as permanent makeup or cosmetic tattoo artists) is that we include one full year of touchup visits in our pricing, at no extra cost, to maintain the ideal appearance at all times. We want any and every procedure that we do to be absolutely perfect and customized to fit you, your skin tone, skin undertones, and lifestyle!

To schedule a complimentary consultation in person in our Beverly Hills office, do not hesitate to call us at 415.412.99700 or Sam Kaye, our Vitiligo specialist, directly at 818.212.3877 or email her at samkayeartist@icloud.com. We have clients who come to us from all over the U.S. and abroad!

Athena Karsant was honored with Best of San Francisco & Best of Beverly Hills for 2013!
Athena also offers Complimentary Consultations. To learn more about Athena's work,
see before and after photos and read testimonials from both clients and doctors,
please visit her website FoolingMotherNature.com

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