Can Skin-Lightening Creams Cause Vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a skin condition in which we lose the skin color in patches or blotches. In this eye condition, the discolored areas on your skin get bigger with time. There is a pigment present in your skin that determines the color of your skin and hair. It is called melanin. So, this vitiligo issue might occur in any part of your skin. In this skin disease, your hair, skin, and the area inside your mouth are normally affected.

The basic difference that you can spot with this skin condition is that your usual or natural skin tone would become lighter or it would turn white. There is a specific term used for the skin area that loses its pigment; we term it macules. The pigmented skin area is called a macule if it is less than one centimeter in its range. And, it is called a patch if it is larger than one centimeter in its range. Our body has an immune system, and if it got damaged, then the skin cells that produce melanin are destroyed. However, the skin cells that produce melanin are known as melanocytes. This skin condition usually occurs in people with darker skin tones.

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Impact of Skin Lightening Creams on your Skin

A good-quality skin-lightening cream can do wonders for your skin if you use it in the correct way or manner. Skin-lightening creams are made to lighten your skin tone by removing all the imperfections that are present on your skin. These creams are also known as skin-brightening creams that can improve the overall texture and tone of your skin. Some benefits of using these skin-lightening creams are listed below:

These creams are helpful in lightening the overall complexion of your skin by improving its texture.
The main benefit of a skin-lightening cream is to decrease the production of melanin in your skin and hair.
These creams contain an element known as hydroquinone that decreases the melanocytes present in the skin.
Other powerful ingredients that are present in skin-lightening creams are glycolic acid and retinoids. These elements clear the dead cells and lighten dark spots, respectively.

Types of Vitiligo Skin Condition

There are different vitiligo skin conditions that can occur to your skin. I mentioned those below.

Generalized Vitiligo: This is one of the most common types of vitiligo skin conditions. In this condition, there is the appearance of macules on your body parts.
Segmental Vitiligo: In this skin condition, only one part or segment of your body is affected.
Mucosal Vitiligo: In mucosal vitiligo, the mouth membranes and genitals are affected.
Universal Vitiligo: In the case of universal vitiligo, a maximum percentage of your skin does not have any pigment.
Trichome Vitiligo: Trichome vitiligo causes lighter pigmentation and discoloration on your skin and a bullseye-shaped pigmentation of your natural skin tone.
Focal Vitiligo: This is one of the rare types of vitiligo skin conditions in which there occurs a development of macules on a smaller skin area of your face or some other body parts.