TUESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDayNews) -- A combination of laser therapy and tacrolimus ointment is more effective than laser therapy alone in treating vitiligo, says a French study in the September issue of the Archives of Dermatology.

Vitilgo is a skin pigmentation disorder that causes white patches (called lesions) on the skin. It affects 1 percent to 2 percent of people worldwide.

This study included 14 people with vitiligo who were divided into two groups. One group was treated twice a week with a 308-nm (nonometer) excimer laser for a total of 24 sessions, along with twice daily treatment with 0.1 percent tacrolimus ointment. The other group received only the laser treatments.

Repigmentation was observed in all 23 lesions treated with combination therapy, compared with 85 percent of the 20 lesions treated with laser therapy alone.

"The combination of 0.1 percent tacrolimus ointment applied twice daily and 308-nm excimer laser therapy performed twice a week gives excellent results on UV-sensitive and UV-resistant areas. The treatment was well-tolerated, and the patients were satisfied," the study authors wrote.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has more about vitiligo.