Frequently Asked Questions about Vitiligo and XTRAC Laser Treatments

What is Vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a disease characterized by the loss of pigmentation and the development of white spots on the skin. The spots occur when pigment cells, called melanocytes, are destroyed and the pigment, called melanin, can no longer be produced.

What is the origin of the word "vitiligo"?
The word "vitiligo" comes from Latin. The first part of the word, "viti" means a mark or blemish. The suffix, "ligo" is a common ending meaning to cause. Thus, Vitiligo means "to cause a mark or blemish", which is of course what the condition does.

Can Vitiligo be cured?
There is currently no cure for Vitiligo, but a variety of effective therapies do exist. PUVA used to be the most common treatment, but it has been largely replaced by topical immunomodulators/immunosupressants, narrow-band UVB phototherapy, and excimer laser phototherapy.   For all of these treatments, it is important to realize that it takes time (often several months) to see substantial progress with repigmentation.

What can I expect, if I chose to try XTRAC Laser Therapy for my Vitiligo treatments?
XTRAC Laser Therapy typically requires at least ten treatment sessions in your dermatologist’s office before you will begin to start noticing any improvement.  Full re-pigmentation, if you are a patient that starts to respond can take quite a few more treatments, typically 20, 30 or more to obtain the desired result of repigmentation of the Vitiligo patches.

Are XTRAC Laser Vitiligo treatments painful?
No, however some patients may notice a very modest "warm sensation" during the XTRAC treatment session, and some patients may experience a modest "sun-burn" type reaction following the treatments, however your provider will closely monitor the dose settings required to produce the desired clinical result.

Does insurance cover the cost of XTRAC Laser Vitiligo treatments?
More and more insurance companies are beginning to cover XTRAC treatments for Vitiligo.   The PhotoMedex Reimbursement Support Department is available to help you and your physician determine if your specific insurance plan will cover the treatments.

For any questions related to insurance reimbursement, do not hesitate to contact the XTRAC Reimbursement Support Center at 1-800-442-9706  and one of our XTRAC Reimbursement Specialists will be happy to assist you.

For more general questions related to XTRAC Vitiligo therapy or to locate an XTRAC physician in your area, do not hesitate to contact our XTRAC TeleCare Center at 1-800-800-4758, and one of our XTRAC Patient Educators will be happy to assist you—or simply send us an e-mail through our Request Info page on this website.