He was kind enough to answer a few questions about himself for us.

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No one knows what causes it, but it may be an autoimmune disease. In people with autoimmune diseases, the immune cells mistakenly attack the body’s own healthy tissues instead of viruses or bacteria.

A person with this condition sometimes may have family members who also have the disease. There is no cure, but treatments can help even out skin tones.

Who gets it?

Anyone can get vitiligo and it can happen at any age. For many people, the white patches show up before age 20.

It seems to occur more in people who have family members with the disorder or who have certain autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or Type 1 Diabetes.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom of vitiligo is loss of natural color. The patches can show up on any part of your body and can affect:

• Skin, which develops milky-white patches, usually on the hands, feet, arms and face.
• Hair, which can turn white on the scalp, eyebrow, eyelashes and beard.
• The inside of your mouth or nose.

People with vitiligo can also develop problems with the eyes and ears, such as glaucoma and hearing loss. In addition, people with the disorder may worry about how their skin looks, which can affect their general well-being.

What causes vitiligo?

No one knows the exact cause. It may be an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the skin cells that make color. Also, your family history and genes can play a role in causing vitiligo.

Finally, sometimes a sunburn, stressful life event, or contact with a chemical can trigger vitiligo or make it worse.

Is there a test for it?

To see if you have vitiligo, your doctor may ask about your family history and do a full physical exam. The doctor may use a special tool that shines a black light on your skin.

Your doctor may also run blood tests, check your eyes, or take a small sample of your skin to be examined under a microscope.

How is it treated?

In most cases, the goals of treatment are to:

• Slow or stop the disease.
• Help skin cells that make color to grow again.
• Bring back color to the white patches of skin.

Treatments do not always work for every person. Additionally, new patches of vitiligo may form. You may need more than one treatment to get the best results.

Treatments can include:

• Medicines or medicated skin creams, which may be able to return color to the white patches of skin.
• Light therapy to help return color to the skin*.

Living with vitiligo

Living with vitiligo can be hard. Some people with the disorder feel embarrassed, sad, ashamed or upset about how their skin looks. This can lead to low self-esteem and depression. Seeking advice from a counselor or therapist can help you cope.

You can help manage vitiligo by:

• Using sunscreen and wearing clothes to protect your skin.
• Wearing self-tanning lotions or dyes to cover white patches of skin.
• Finding a doctor who has treated other people with vitiligo.
• Learning about the disorder and treatments to help you make decisions about your care.
• Finding a vitiligo support group, either in person or online.
• Reaching out to family and friends for support.

“If you’ve developed unusual patches on your skin, contact us for an appointment today,” advises DeSilva Dermatology’s Dr. Thushan DeSilva. “There are treatment options available to correct skin color and help you to feel less self-conscious.”

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A common mole is a skin growth that develops when pigment cells (melanocytes) grow in clusters. Most adults have between 10 and 40 such moles. They are usually found on areas that receive most sun exposure.

They can appear at birth, but usually appear later in childhood and continue to develop until age 20. They tend to fade away in older people.

A common mole is usually smaller than 6mm (the size of a pencil eraser). It is round or oval and has a smooth surface with a distinct edge. It is often dome-shaped. People with darker skin tend to have darker moles than people with fair skin.

Can a common mole become a melanoma?

Yes, but a common mole rarely turns into melanoma. However, people with more than 50 common moles have an increased risk of developing melanoma, which is why it is essential to have regular dermatological exams.

Dysplastic nevus.

What is a dysplastic nevus?

A dysplastic nevus looks different than the common mole. It may be bigger and its color, surface and border may be different. It is usually larger than 6mm, but can be smaller. It can be a mixture of several colors, from pink to dark brown. It is usually flat with a smooth, scaly or pebbly surface. It has an irregular edge that can face into surrounding skin.

Like a common mole, it is usually seen on areas exposed to the sun. Unlike a common mole, however, it can also be present on areas not exposed to the sun, like the scalp, breasts and areas below the waist. People with dysplastic nevi usually have more common moles as well.

Can a dysplastic nevus turn into melanoma?

Yes, but most do not, remaining stable over time. However, researchers estimate that the chance of melanoma is about 10 times greater for someone with more than five dysplastic nevi than someone who has none. Dysplastic nevi are categorized into mild, moderate or severe categories.

What should you do if you have dysplastic nevi?

Protect your skin from the sun and by no means use sunlamps or tanning booths. Doctors recommend that you check your skin once a month and consult your dermatologist with concerns.

For people with more than five dysplastic nevi, your dermatologist may conduct a skin exam once or twice a year because of the increased chance of melanoma.

What is melanoma?

A melanoma patch.

Melanoma is a skin cancer that begins in melanocytes. It is dangerous because it can spread to other parts of the body, including the lung, liver, bone and brain. The earlier it is detected and removed, the more likely the treatment will be successful.

In men, it is often found on the head, neck or back. In women, it is often found on the legs or lower legs. People will dark skin are less likely to develop melanoma, but when they do, it can be found under the fingernails and toenails, on the palms of the hands and on the soles of the feet.

Melanoma sometimes runs in families, and if you’ve had melanoma before, your risk is heightened for developing more. Long term sun exposure, use of tanning beds and severe, blistering sunburns also increase your risk.

What does melanoma look like?

One of the first signs is a change in the shape, size or feel of an existing mole. It can also appear as a new colored area on the skin. They’re usually uneven in color, with shades of black, brown and tan. They may also have areas of gray, red, pink or blue. They are irregularly shaped, and the surface texture can be hard or lumpy or ooze and bleed.

There’s an “ABCDE” rule that describes the features of early melanoma:

• Asymmetry. The shape of one half does not match the other half.
• Border that is irregular. The edges are often ragged, notched, or blurred in outline. The pigment may spread into the surrounding skin.
• Color that is uneven. Shades of black, brown, and tan may be present. Areas of white, gray, red, pink, or blue may also be seen.
• Diameter. There is a change in size, usually an increase. Melanomas can be tiny, but most are larger than 6 millimeters wide (about 1/4 inch wide).
• Evolving. The mole has changed over the past few weeks or months.

How is melanoma diagnosed?

The only way to diagnose melanoma is to remove tissue and check for cancer cells. Usually, this procedure only takes a few minutes and can be done in your doctor’s office.

If any mole changes in size, shape or color or becomes symptomatic (starts burning, itching, causing pain or bleeding), contact your dermatologist to schedule an exam. They are the only professionals that have the expertise to diagnose using a hand-held magnification device.

If you have concerns about moles, call DeSilva Dermatology at (830) 331-4150 to schedule a consultation today.

Information provided by the National Cancer Institute.

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