TLDR Surgical therapies for vitiligo vary in effectiveness, with combination therapy and medical tattooing recommended for better results.
This document from 5 years ago explores various surgical therapies for vitiligo, including grafting techniques, melanocyte transplantation, and therapeutic wounding. The techniques have varying levels of effectiveness and potential complications, and the document provides tips for optimizing their success. Non-cultured epidermal suspensions and split-thickness skin grafts are among the most successful techniques, while hair follicle transplantation and blister grafts have shown mixed results. Combination therapy is recommended for better results, and medical tattooing can provide prolonged camouflage. However, the long-term safety and effectiveness of surgical therapies for vitiligo are still uncertain.
9 citations,
January 2013 in “Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery” Transplanting body hair helped repigment and treat a man's vitiligo.
11 citations,
January 2011 in “Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery” Follicular unit transplant successfully repigmented vitiligo patch on upper lip.
829 citations,
May 2007 in “Nature” Hair follicles can regrow in wounded adult mouse skin using a process like embryo development.
177 citations,
November 2002 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” Transplantation is effective for stable leucoderma but not for progressive, widespread vitiligo vulgaris.
69 citations,
April 1998 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Single hair grafting is effective for treating small, localized patches of vitiligo.
49 citations,
August 2007 in “Dermatologic surgery” New treatments for acne scars are safer and more effective because we understand the causes better.
165 citations,
June 2007 in “European Journal of Cell Biology” Hair follicle stem cells are key for hair and skin regeneration, can be reprogrammed, and have potential therapeutic uses, but also carry a risk of cancer.
28 citations,
September 2015 in “Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift” New skin substitutes for treating severe burns and chronic wounds are being developed, but a permanent solution for deep wounds is not yet available commercially.
232 citations,
October 2015 in “International journal of molecular sciences” Stem cells are crucial for skin repair and new treatments for chronic wounds.
129 citations,
July 2019 in “Stem Cell Research & Therapy” Epidermal stem cells help heal severe skin wounds and have potential for medical treatments.
