The Apple singer confessed to suffering from vitiligo, a chronic disease of the epidermis.
Known for her titles Without you and those who dream and his Victoire de la musique in the revelation album of the year category at the 35and ceremony of the Victoires de la Musique, on February 14, the singer Apple confided during an interview granted to She have vitiligo since the age of 15.
A skin disease
“I have always felt a lot of anxiety, but it hasn’t been long since I put a word on this evil. Vitiligo, this autoimmune disease that I have, also develops according to stress and anxiety”she explained.
Indeed, the vitiligo which Michael Jackson had admitted to suffering from in 1993 on the Oprah Winfrey set and which the famous model Winnie Harlow suffered from, is a skin disease which is characterized by more or less extensive depigmented areas. Depigmentation results from a dysfunction in the melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin.
This chronic autoimmune disease occurs when pigment-bearing cells die or are unable to function normally. It develops in spurts, under the influence of various factors such as stress, anxiety, psychological shock or friction.
Vitiligo can develop at any age
Vitiligo affects 0.5% of the world’s population. There is no predominance of gender or ethnic origin. The disease can develop at any age, at any time in life, although most patients are under 20 when diagnosed. It is to this day still impossible to explain with certainty the causes of vitiligo, but we know that itThis disease is mainly genetic in nature and linked to systemic endocrine or autoimmune disorders.
The diagnosis is made by a dermatologist after examining the white spots on the patient’s skin. Whether or not the spots are symmetrical or not is also taken into account. The doctor can also use a Wood’s lamp to detect pale spots, a possible beginning of the disease and follow its evolution.
A breakthrough treatment on trial
In 2019, a clinical trial demonstrated the effectiveness of a cream (Ruxolitinib) to treat vitiligo. “Unfortunately, vitiligo is often stigmatized, which can have significant psychosocial consequences for sufferers.explained Dr. David Rosmarin, dermatologist at Tufts Medical Center and director of the study. Current treatments such as phototherapythe corticosteroids and the calcineurin inhibitors have limited effectiveness”and are heavy to bear.
For two years, his team carried out the largest randomized study ever conducted on vitiligo. At term, about half of the patients who used Ruxolitinib saw their facial vitiligo decrease by half (50%), compared to 3% for the placebo group. Side effects from ruxolitinib were mild, including redness, irritation, and some acne. Further trials are yet to take place.
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