Hi all,
I'm just looking for more information about these UVA/UVB light treatments (whats the difference?), the procedures and costs involved? My dermatologist said that i would be required to attend the clinic for the treatment three times each week, and would need to limit my sun exposure. I would love to try, but would find it impossible to attend that frequently and stay out of the sun due to my work...not to mention the expense if its not going to be successful! Has anyone else found its difficult? Also, I have seen people talking about having hand held devices to use at home...but can't seem to find anywhere they are sold- except ebay and I'm not sure if they are the real thing!
Thanks :)
Jess
Replies
It is interesting that people have been saying that the initial treatments are successful, but once depigmentation occurs again its not as effective. Hmmm, i know that there is no cure so its not surprising nothing is forever. It does sound expensive...but I'm just trying to find some treatment that's successful as i have only tried creams that have done nothing!
Nicole - you said you had burning? Is that common, and can this treatment be painful?!
Thanks for all your replies :)
I'm lucky enought to live in Canada where my treatments are all overed by our health care, so the only cost was the gas to travel the 60km in and out of the city twice a week.
It can be painful, my first time it wasn't bad, but the depigmented areas were smaller, and covered less of my body. Earlier this year when I did it, I was getting my whole body treated, and I guess where there were fewer pigmented areas the increas of burning increased. It is exposing yourself to UV, just like in the sun, just only the UVB (i had the narrow band). In order for repigmentation to take place they want your skin to turn slightly pink. So similar to that opps been in the sun little too long, better reapply the sunscreen or go inside. The pinkness should be gone in 24 hours. (this is why they say to wait at least 48 hours between treatments) I started my treatments with 45 seconds in the booth. (it was like one of those stand-n-tan booths). and it increased over 6 months to around 4.5 mins.It do dry the skin out too.
This time I did burn, quite a bit, it was my big deciding factor to actually stop the treatments, or well not restart them in the fall. ( I was away for work all summer and unable to get treatments). It was quite painful, where I had to wear loose clothing, and lots of aloe and a scatter advil. We had to continually drop my time back, and sometimes only have the treatment once a week.
Right now, I've decided to stop treating it, until something new comes out. I try to cover it up if I'm going out to special events, where I would be wearing make up and doing that little bit extra anyway. Otherwise I've learned or well learning to accept it. I have found my friends to be great supporters, makes it easier to accept it yourself when everyone around you accepts it (often before you do).
I have done UVB twice now. The treatment centre I went to would not allow me to have treatments anymore than twice a week, because even strictly supervised and regulated UV exposure (especially to non pigmented skin) in creases your risk of skin damage and skin cancer.
The first time I had the treatments was 2006-2007 was going for a little over a year. I had excellent results, the dermatologist said it was one of the most sucessfull repigmentations she had seen. The only areas I had vitiligo was my legs, feet, under arms, bikini area and a couple small spots on on my hands.
About a year later I had a few more "spots" on my hands and a small one on my chin. I used protopic, had excellent results again on my face, nothing on my hands.
By last year, it had started to spread quite rapidly, ( It took from the first spot being noticed in 2000 to 2005 for it to spread enough that I took enough notice myself to even see enough to see a doctor, and be refered to a dermatologist). I now have depigmentation all over my body. My dermatologist suggested we try the UVB again to try to slow it down, and repigment some of the new spots. I did that for about 6 months (stopped in June) with very little results this time, but a lot more burning than the first time. I do wonder now if the first lot of UVB treatments that seemed to work so well initially actually did more damage to the skin that had pigmentation and caused my vitiligo to spread.