Ginkgo May Help Tough-To-Treat Skin Condition Vitiligo affects 1
to 4% of people worldwide, about half the time before age 20.
The patchy loss of pigmentation commonly affects the face, arms,
legs, and genitalia, and is often more noticeable in dark-
skinned people. Emotional distress over changes in body
appearance caused by vitiligo can show up as sleep disturbances,
anxiety, and even suicide attempts. Recent research suggests
that the condition may be related to some combination of
autoimmune, genetic, biochemical, nervous system, and
environmental factors, but no clear cause has been identified.
Current treatments for vitiligo are limited, as they don’t
always restore the skin’s appearance and may in fact cause other
problems. Photochemotherapy (administrating ultraviolet-
sensitizing medications followed by exposure to ultraviolet
light) increases the risk of skin cancer and cannot be used by
lighter skinned people. Topical corticosteroids can help
repigment the skin, but they can also cause it to thin. To