In Corriere Salute: vitiligo, the patchy skin disease, which “weighs” more in summer

We are publishing a preview of an article in the new Corriere Salute. You can read the full text on the issue at newsstands for free on Thursday 28 July or in Pdf on the Digital Edition of Corriere della Sera.

Up to two out of a hundred people live with the vitiligo, a condition that involves the presence of light spots on the skin due to the absence of the cells that produce melanin, the melanocytes. Although it is considered an essentially aesthetic problem, there is no lack of psychological repercussions, especially when it is very extensive or affects visible areas, such as the face or hands.

What is it due to?

At the base of vitiligo there is an intrinsic defect of the cells of the epidermis responsible for the production of melanin, or the melanocytes, which would seem less able to tolerate the oxidative stress linked to the production of this pigment. Melanin, which gives color to skin, hair and hair, has the important function of protecting the skin from ultraviolet solar rays and therefore from the risk of carcinogenic transformation associated with them – he explains Angelo Valerio Marzano, full professor of Dermatology at the University of Milan and director of the complex operating unit of Dermatology of the Irccs Policlinico di Milano -. In individuals with a genetic predisposition or in any case a familiarity for vitiligo, the defect of melanocytes activates an inflammatory process. Then, through autoimmune mechanisms, the melanocyte is attacked and destroyed, giving the “the” also to a numerical reduction of these cells until they disappear, an event that is clearly seen when a histological examination of the depigmented skin is performed.

You can continue reading the article on the Health Courier on newsstands for free on Thursday 28 July or in Pdf on the Digital Edition of Corriere della Sera.