Camouflage of Vitiligo: When And How?

Camouflage of Vitiligo: when and how? 

Key points

Cover-ups should be considered in global approach to vitiligo, mainly in those cases when vitiligo subjects  cannot overcome the emotional stress deriving from their skin change. 

Corrective cosmetic products used for camouflage can be cover creams, instant self- tanning topicals, stains and  dyes. 

Camouflage can be just temporary (make-up), semi permanent (self-tanning topicals) or permanent (tattoo). 

Camouflage and active treatments for vitiligo may be combined. 

Answer 

Most therapies for vitiligo may require  treatment periods lasting for months or years  before repigmentation eventually occurs.

Thus, palliative treatments could be used in the  meantime, with considerable improvement in  quality of life of vitiligo-affected subject. 

Sunscreens are usually added to most of those  cosmetic products in order to avoid sunburn. 

The vitiligo patients should know how many  different topicals are available for them on the  market, and should become familiar with different  methods of application and cleaning. 

Cover creams, stick correctors, tinted cover  creams and fixing spray applications on the  vitiligo-affected area require expert  recommendations in order to get optimal results. 

Permanent camouflage is obtained with  cosmetic tattoo, usually done by implanting iron  oxides pigments into the dermis. 

Colors of the tattoos naturally fade over years,  thus, they require periodic maintenance, usually  every 30 months. 

The quality of life of vitiligo subjects is usually  improved significantly by use of cover-ups, which  can temporarily cancel vitiligo areas and give  vitiliginous skin a natural color. 

Unfortunately, reliable clinics devoted to  acknowledgeable application of camouflage in  vitiligo are not always available.