Does Protopic work for vitiligo?
Protopic is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. Protopic is prescribed off-label to treat vitiligo in children, and on sensitive areas such as face, eyelids, genitals, or breasts. Protopic may be used in combination with phototherapy for vitiligo.
How long does it take for Protopic to work on vitiligo?
Protopic does not seem to be readily absorbed into the bloodstream, so the treatment is quite localised. It takes a long time for results to show (usually three to six months).
How long does it take for tacrolimus ointment to work on vitiligo?
Pooling the lesions, 50% repigmentation of vitiligo patches was never achieved before 2 months of vitiligo treatment, with a peak after 6 months of therapy. In all responder-patients undergoing treatment regimens, at least 50% repigmentation was achieved after 6 months of therapy.
How do you treat vitiligo in 30 days?
There is no medical treatment that can cure vitiligo in 30 days and there is no way to prevent the skin condition. The objective of the vitiligo treatment is to restore pigmentation and prevent depigmentation from affecting more areas of your skin.
Does vitiligo come back after treatment?
Once we start treating the vitiligo spots, the pigment comes back, thereby reversing the disease. If there are pigmented hair follicles within the spots that we’re treating, after about 3 months of treatment we see little brown spots appearing around each hair.
Has anyone been cured of vitiligo?
There is no “cure” for vitiligo. Sometimes patches go away on their own. But when that doesn’t happen, doctors can prescribe treatments that might help even out skin tone.
How is Protopic ointment used to treat vitiligo?
Protopic appears to have unique qualities in suppressing the immune response in vitiligo patches. It has a similar effect to steroid treatment, but without the side effects. Protopic ointment has proved quite effective on the faces of some people who have vitiligo, when the loss of pigment is relatively recent and still active.
Which is the best ointment for vitiligo for children?
Protopic is available in two strengths, the milder ointment (.03% strength) being usually for children. Protopic can be prescribed by GPs for vitiligo, although it is not licensed. Often a dermatologist may recommend it but ask the GP to actually prescribe it. The treatment usually involves applying the ointment twice a day.
What kind of ointment is Protopic made of?
Protopic (also known as tacrolimus) ointment is a treatment that has mainly been used for eczema. Recently, protopic has also been used in clinical studies for the treatment of vitiligo. It is made from a rare soil bacterium found only in Japan.
Are there any cures or treatments for vitiligo?
No complete cure for vitiligo has been discovered yet, but these treatments can be very effective in bringing back colour to the white skin patches, or at least slowing down the progress of vitiligo. The effects of treatment vary from one person to another.