Vitiligo is a skin pigmentation disorder with multiple potential origins. Vitiligo appears on the body’s surface as depigmented white patches, however vitiligo is also known to occur in the mucous membranes, in the eyes and the hair. The rare skin disorder can appear at any age but most people who experience vitiligo patches see the onset in their early twenties. Very little is known about the mechanism behind vitiligo9. The scientific theory behind why the white patches emerge on a person are still being tested however many people have different ideas as to the reason people may suffer from this disorder. Some researchers believe that certain life experiences and impulses cause vitiligo onset10. For example, in multiple research studies patients
Anthropologists and geographers have studied and overtime come to the conclusion that distribution of skin color is not random. Darker skin color has been found to typically come from near the equator and lighter skin colors are typically coming from closer to the north and south poles. Over the years, researchers have found that darker skin colors has protected the skin from having skin cancer. Recent studies have shown that “skin color is the product of natural selection acting to regulate the effects of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation on key nutrients crucial to the reproductive success” (169).
Xeroderma Pigmentosum is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation in one of any seven genes. This genetic mutation is an autosomal recessive trait. This disease was discovered in 1874 by Hebra and Kaposi. People with this disease cannot have direct exposure to sunlight, or blisters on the skin may occur. There are only about 250 people in the world with this disease.
A study carried out by Telang (2013)(14) showed that 10 % of vitamin C applied topically decrease UVB induced erythema by 52% and sunburn cell formation by 40-60%. Vitamin C has a role to reduce the melanin formation by inhibition of tyrosinase enzyme that decrease dark spots. It has photo aging protection due to promoting collagen synthesis, as it is essential cofactor for enzymes required for its biosynthesis as a result, decrease wrinkle appearance (15).
When people are exposed to UV light, from the sun or, for example, in a tanning booth, the melanocyte cells make more melanin and pack together tighter, resulting in darker skin tones. If the skin is receiving too much ultraviolet light, the melanocytes may begin to grow abnormally and become melanoma during this process.
The prominent theory today about how and why skin pigment in humans developed with the color diversity that exists today, is that ancestral populations of humans inhabited areas with different UV radiation concentration. As a result, the effects of UV radiation put positive evolutionary pressure on skin pigment to develop for sufficient folate protection and Vitamin D production. For a long time, paleontologists have known that human ancestors had dense hair that covered their bodies. The reason that modern humans lack such covering is probably due to changes in climate and habitation choice, but for whatever reason the dense hair covering disappeared, it ultimately did, rendering the skin much more exposed to both the elements and to UV rays. Scientists believe that in response to this change in UV concentrations, the human skin became tougher, and developed a protective pigment called ‘melanin’ which protects against the effects of UV radiation.
The first known use of dermatology was established in 1819 and only in the 1930’s did its practice become more widely accomplished, known and sought after. (“Dermatology” 2014) Since then it has extensively evolved and changed and been able to provide services for women and men around the world. Originally being a part of the medicine field can now be considered a division of the beauty industry due to availability of services and treatments for aesthetic, pampering purposes, rather than just originally founded for medical issues of resolving skin disorders and diseases. Dermatology being defined as ‘a branch of medicine dealing with the skin, its structure, functions and diseases’ (“Dermatology” 2014) now offers many professions one being a dermatologist, whic...
Your skin pigment or the amount of melanin in you skin has the ability to change your whole outlook on life and determines if you will possibly have fewer or more challenges to face during your lifespan. The amount for melanin that an individual has according to society can determine if you are either the ugly duckling through societies eyes or if you are a beautiful swan. In this short paper I will be discussing the Dark Girls documentary.
The first feature a person can see is the outside of the body: the skin. Everyone wishes to have clear skin. Many struggle with self-confidence because of acne or skin disorders. Thankfully, we have doctors who can perform procedures to help the appearance of the skin. Dermatology can be a rewarding career despite the highly competitive and intense educational program.
Albinism is a genetic condition present at birth, characterized by a small amount of melanin pigment in the skin, hair and eye. Albinism is an occasional inborn sickness related with vision difficult, which affect one in seventeen thousand persons. It is not a contagious disease and cannot be spread over contact. Albinism affects individuals from all races. Most folks with albinism have parents with a normal color of skin. Some may not even recognize that they are Albino until later on in their life. This paper will be based on the study of albinism, causes, types, the genetic transmission and some possible medical problem.
In conclusion, melanin production has played a considerably important role in human evolution. Not only does it influence color pigmentation through its protective role of defending against harmful UV rays, but also determines detrimental features such as eye-sight and hearing. Furthermore, melanin production and its evolutionary adaptions mark an important presence upon our biological systems to this day. Therefore, in the process of furthering human evolution, melanin production has played an enormous role in human evolution by selecting for several features that allow for particular adaptions according to the human's geographical location and environment.
Vitiligo is a pigmentary disorder associated with many disease conditions and necessitates multiple drug regimens which make the treatment complicated. This stigmatic disease forces the patient to approach all system of medicines as well as alternative medicines of non proven value which further worsens the situation. At the same time the nonadherence to the treatment reflects poor prognosis which is misunderstood for lack of response resulting in poor faith to the medications. The aim of this work was to assess the patient compliance and the factors affecting, and to monitor the adverse effects as well as drug interactions. The study was carried out in the Institute of Applied Dermatology (IAD) for a period of one year. Patient compliance was assessed using Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) and found that 71% of the patients were low adherent to medications. Family support, faith in doctor, higher educational status and effectiveness of the treatment were some of the reasons for medication adherence whereas forgetfulness, feasibility, occupational problem, polypharmacy, lon...
One day, after a baseball tournament, i noticed that i had white spots on my face and my hands. At the time i thought that it might just be sun spots because it was really sunny that particular weekend, but after several weeks it did not go away. In fact, the spots started spreading and becoming more and more noticeable so i saw a dermatologist and he diagnosed me with vitiligo. Vitiligo is a condition in which the pigment is lost from areas of the skin, causing white patches. It has no definite cure, i can wake up one morning with my body being one big white spot and it could completely go away. The dermatologist told me that i should stay away from the sun as much as possible because vitiligo makes me more susceptible to solar rays meaning i have higher chances of getting skin cancer. When i heard the word cancer being associated with me, i was scared. I immediately thought the worst. I kept thinking, why me? why now? everything I had planned for
This meant that over time, humans lost most of their hair on their bodies, leaving their skin exposed. Sweat glands were going to help the body cool down, but they couldn’t protect the skin from harmful UV rays. This is where melanin works its magic, and it’s the reason for the diversity in skin color today. Melanin helps reduce the absorption of wavelengths into the skin (Chaplin, Jablonski, 59).... ...
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder, easily identified by its symptoms of white, scaly skin and red lesions, though not so easily cured or understood. In psoriasis, skin cells mature faster than the body can shed them, causing a buildup. Although there are many theories as to what the cause of such a disease might be – genetics, stress, or other triggers – no one is quite sure why the disease occurs, or what could be a possible way to fully cure it. In this essay we will explore the symptoms, types, and effects of this condition, and also some of the known treatments.
In today’s world with technology and information so readily available it can sometimes be difficult to tell what information is factual and what is questionable. Answering simple questions may become more troublesome or demanding when you have to brave numerous resources to conclude which resources have validity and which do not. To show this I conducted research from a valid and a non-valid source to try to answer a question in hopes of improving my mother’s way of life. My mother has had with psoriasis for as long as I can remember. I am a witness to her constant struggle due towith the pain and recurring inflation which is why I would like to answer the question; what is the best treatment for psoriasis?