Innovative Vitiligo Treatment Commences in Melbourne

Commemorating World Vitiligo Day on June 25, the Vitiligo Clinic at the Skin & Cancer Foundation Inc has announced the commencement of a highly specialised skin grafting technique for the treatment of this disfiguring skin condition.
The Skin & Cancer Foundation Inc’s Vitiligo Clinic will be the first to offer this procedure to patients in Victoria.

Vitiligo, a human skin condition that turns patches of skin and hair white, is not a disease we hear much about, although it affects approximately 1% of the population. It is not painful and does not have significant health consequences however; it can have substantial emotional and psychological effects.

Well known example of Vitiligo is, Michael Jackson who was diagnosed with the condition, but more recently Jon Hamm from TV’s Mad Men has it, as does model Chantelle Brown‐Young on America’s Next Top Model.

Non‐cultured Epidermal Cellular Grafting is a technique that involves taking a thin piece of skin from a hidden area, such as the thigh, placing the skin into a test tube or dish and adding a chemical (trypsin) to separate all of the skin cells. A laser is then used to remove the top layer of skin from the white area of vitiligo and the liquid suspension of cells is placed onto this site.

The patient’s own skin cells then grow into the area and start to re‐pigment the skin. As only the top layer of skin has been removed it heals without scarring, and since the technique involves the patient’s own cells, the colour matches the patient’s own skin colour and should tan as normal.

Vitiligo is a treatable condition. However it must be treated early to ensure the best chance of a successful outcome. The skin grafting technique is suitable only for those with smaller areas of white skin that have not improved with other treatments. The Vitiligo Clinic urges those with this condition to consider seeking attention from a qualified dermatologist.

World Vitiligo Day is an initiative that aims to build global awareness about Vitiligo, its significantly negative social and psychological impact on patients, and the various forms of Vitiligo treatment.