Is there any cream over the counter for Vitiligo ( skin discolor)?

Pimecrolimus cream : A non-steroid inhibitor of inflammatory cytokines, is proven to be effective in the treatment of vitiligo skin disorder.





Behind I proceed further, let me make it clear that I'm NOT the owner of the company that produces Pimecrolimus cream, neither am I a shareholder ... :-)





OK, read this now ...





Journal of Dermatological Treatment


2006;17(6):338-42





Topical pimecrolimus: A new horizon for vitiligo treatment?





By: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey





OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of pimecrolimus cream 1% in vitiligo skin disorder and to evaluate the effects of age of the patients, age of onset and duration of disease on response rate.





MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients with vitiligo were enrolled in our study; 19 patients (seven male, 12 female) completed the 6-month study period. Patients were treated with topical pimecrolimus 1% cream once daily. The response was evaluated as excellent (76-100%), moderate (51-75%), mild (26-50%), minimal (1-25%), or no response.





RESULTS: The mean age of the 19 patients was 29.3+/-16.6 (range 7-62 years) and the mean duration of vitiligo was 68.4+/-81.3 months. Three patients demonstrated an excellent response to the therapy. Four patients had moderate, six patients had mild and five patients had minimal responses; one patient had no response to the treatment. Side effects were noted as a burning and stinging sensation in only three patients. The correlations between response rate and duration of the disease (r = 0.02, p = 0.95), onset age (r = -0.17, p = 0.48), and age of the patients (r = -0.16, p = 0.53) were not significant.





CONCLUSIONS: Pimecrolimus has a mild therapeutic effect on vitiligo without significant side effects and can be an alternative therapy agent.





Did you read that?





1. The correlations between response rate, duration of the disease, onset age and age of the patients were not significant.





2. Out of the 19 patients in this study, 18 of them had excellent to mild response to Pimecrolimus cream. That's an impressive 95% response rate!





Could Pimecrolimus cream work for you too?





Here's another study, specifically on facial vitiligo skin disorder using Pimecrolimus cream too.





Journal of Drugs In Dermatology


2007 May;6(5):517-21





Retrospective analysis of pimecrolimus cream 1% for treatment of facial vitiligo skin disorder.





OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of pimecrolimus cream 1% used twice daily (BID) for the treatment of facial vitiligo skin disorder.





METHODS: Patients who had used pimecrolimus cream 1% monotherapy BID for at least 3 months and who had photographs taken at baseline and after initiation of therapy were analyzed in a retrospective study. The total affected surface area (cm2) of facial vitiligo in the baseline and follow-up photographs was compared. The extent of facial depigmentation was scored using a 7-point scale (0 = no disease to 6 = 100% involvement).





RESULTS: Eight patients met study entry criteria. Mean time from initiation of treatment to the final follow-up visit was 11 months (SD +/- 7.5 months). Mean affected surface area at baseline and follow-up were 79.40 cm2 and 17.96 cm2, respectively, (P = .012) with a mean percent improvement 72.5% (SD +/- 20.4%). Mean depigmentation score decreased from 2.8 at baseline to 1.4 at follow-up. No adverse events were reported.





CONCLUSION: Pimecrolimus cream 1% may be a viable alternative to current therapies for the treatment of facial vitiligo.





Clearly, Pimecrolimus cream works for facial vitiligo skin disorder.





Here's another study done on treatment for vitiligo penis using Pimecrolimus cream ...





International Journal of Dermatology


46(9):986-989, September 2007





Two therapeutic challenges: periocular and genital vitiligo in children successfully treated with pimecrolimus cream.





By: Universidade Cat贸lica de Bras铆lia and Instituto Saint Louis de Bras铆lia, Brazilia, Brazil





ABSTRACT: Vitiligo skin disorder is characterized by the selective destruction of melanocytes resulting in patches of skin depigmentation. Vitiligo is a therapeutic challenge. Eyebrows, eyelids and genital vitiligo are a therapeutic dilemma, especially in children. The possible side effects of topical corticosteroids and the difficulties for choosing any other adequate treatment option are a major concern. We present two children, one with vitiligo of the eyelids and the other with genital vitiligo, both treated with pimecrolimus 1% cream with almost full repigmentation of the lesions, showing pimecrolimus could be an adequate option for the treatment of vitiligo skin disorder for these special vitiligo areas in children.





Pimecrolimus cream may not be available in your neighbourhood pharmacy, and may not be available in certain country.





If you can't get it from your heighbourhood pharmacy, you can get it from here. They ship it worldwide and you probably get it much cheaper than your neighbourhood pharmacy ... http://www.pharmawebglobal.com/catalog_veritySearch.html?keywords=pimecrolimus%26amp;fid=10721





Read more about vitiligo skin disorder from this blog ... http://vitiligo-cure.blogspot.com/2008/04/vitiligo-skin-disorder.html