For some people with vitiligo that is spreading quickly over weeks or months, doctors may prescribe short courses of oral medicines to help stop or slow the spread.
The most commonly used medicines are corticosteroids, such as prednisone or dexamethasone. These treatments are mainly used to stabilize the disease rather than to directly restore the lost color.
Oral steroids alone are generally not used to bring the color back. Their main purpose is to stop or slow rapidly progressing vitiligo.
Once the disease is stabilized, treatments such as narrowband UVB phototherapy or topical treatments may be used to encourage repigmentation.
When oral steroids are used for rapidly spreading vitiligo, they are usually prescribed for a short period or in an intermittent “mini-pulse” schedule.
The exact treatment and duration depend on your age, health, how quickly the vitiligo is spreading, and your dermatologist’s assessment.