Powerlifter Daphne Loo on living with vitiligo and finding confidence

Treatment: 70 to 80 per cent of patients can regain skin colour with the right treatment.

Treatment includes oral and topical medications that suppress the immune system, prevent the white patches from spreading, and reduce inflammation to support re-pigmentation.

A new topical ruxolitinib cream that supports repigmentation is also pending full regulatory approvals in Singapore. It has already been approved in the United States, Europe and Hong Kong. 

NSC is conducting a real-world study in Singapore, the largest such study in Southeast Asia, to evaluate its safety and efficacy for the Asian population. The ruxolitinib cream is available to vitiligo patients for this NSC study via a special access route. Interested patients may contact NSC directly, or via a polyclinic or CHAS GP referral, from which they will be assessed for suitability.

Other treatment options include phototherapy, exposing depigmented skin to controlled doses of ultraviolet light to stimulate pigment production; and grafting, a short, day surgery where healthy pigment cells are transplanted from the patient’s own skin to affected areas to restore pigmentation.