Treatments for Vitiligo

Abstract

Vitiligo is a skin condition that leads to skin depigmentation in irregular patterns with potentially severe esthetic and psychological effects on the affected individual. While its etiology is not well understood, it seems to be a multifactorial condition that may be caused by hereditary factors and autoimmune processes among others. By reviewing various publications found through different databases like PubMed and GoogleScholar, this paper summarizes the different therapeutic options available for vitiligo. This includes JAK inhibitors, both topical and oral, and other types of topical drugs, such as vitamin D, calcineurin inhibitors, and steroids. There are also various phototherapy techniques, which all utilize ultraviolet (UV) light. Phototherapy devices are able to deliver the wavelengths that are most beneficial for the stimulation of repigmentation through special filtering. These different treatments give hope to millions of individuals afflicted by this condition worldwide. The following paper overviews and compares the different JAK inhibitors, other topical drugs, and phototherapy options available to treat vitiligo.