DAY CARE PROCEDURE · 30 MINUTES

Vitiligo treatment in Hyderabad.

A torn, split, or stretched earlobe is one of the most common — and most quietly distressing — aesthetic concerns. A 30-minute day care procedure performed personally by Dr. Rajesh Vasu at Apollo Hospitals, Financial District restores your earlobe with discreet scarring. Walk in, walk out. Wear your earrings again without a second thought.

PROCEDURE TIME

30 minutes

ANAESTHESIA

Local only

SUTURES REMOVED

7 to 10 days

RE-PIERCING

After 6–8 weeks

What is Vitiligo?

What is vitiligo, really?

Ear lobule repair is a 30-minute day-care procedure that surgically reconstructs torn, split, or stretched earlobes under local anaesthesia.

Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition where patches of skin lose their natural pigment. It happens when melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin ,stop functioning or are destroyed by the body’s own immune system. The result is well-defined white or light patches that can appear anywhere on the body, most often on the face, hands, around the mouth, eyes, elbows, knees, and the genital area.
It affects approximately 1 in 100 people worldwide, and India sits within that global average. It is not contagious, not caused by diet, not the result of poor hygiene, and not linked to any spiritual or moral cause, these are myths that still circulate in our culture and they delay people from seeking treatment.
What vitiligo is, clinically, is treatable. Modern aesthetic medicine offers a clear sequence of treatment options and the right one for you depends on how active your vitiligo is, how widespread it is, and how long it has been stable.

Types of Vitiligo

The four types of vitiligo and why the type matters

Vitiligo Types
Type
What it looks like
Behaviour
Non-segmental (most common)
Symmetrical patches on both sides of the body
Slowly progressive. Most responsive to phototherapy.
Segmental
Patches on one side only, often along a nerve distribution
Progresses faster initially, then often stabilises. Good candidate for surgical grafting once stable.
Focal
A few small isolated patches
Often early-stage. Watch-and-treat conservatively first.
Universal
More than 80% of skin affected
Rare. Treatment focuses on management, not full repigmentation.

Your dermatologist or plastic surgeon will assess type, activity, and stability before recommending a pathway.

Treatment Pathways

Which treatment is right for you?

Not every patient needs surgery. Equally, not every patient will respond to creams or phototherapy alone. The decision depends on whether your vitiligo is active (still spreading) or stable (no new patches for 12 months or more).

Treatment Planning
Your situation
Recommended pathway
What it involves
Active vitiligo, recent onset
Conservative — topicals + phototherapy
Tacrolimus or steroid creams, NB-UVB phototherapy, Excimer laser. Daycare. No surgery.
Stable vitiligo (12+ months no spread), limited area
Surgical grafting
Punch grafting, suction blister grafting, or melanocyte-keratinocyte transplant (MKTP).
Mixed presentation
Combined approach
Surgery for stable patches + phototherapy for active areas.
Childhood vitiligo
Conservative first, always
Phototherapy and topicals. Surgery only after adulthood and stability.

” A torn earlobe is small. The scar that replaces it stays visible for years. The difference between one that fades and one that doesn’t is the surgeon.” 

Surgical Vitiligo Treatment

Surgical vitiligo treatment — when phototherapy isn't enough

Surgical treatment is considered only when vitiligo has been stable for at least 12 months — meaning no new patches and no enlargement of existing ones — and only for limited, well-defined areas. Surgery does not “cure” vitiligo. It transplants healthy pigment-producing cells into the affected area to restore colour.

Punch grafting

Small cylindrical pieces of healthy skin are taken from a hidden donor site (usually the upper thigh) and placed into prepared recipient sites in the white patch. Performed under local anaesthesia. Suitable for small, well-defined patches.

Suction blister grafting

A blister is created on healthy donor skin using gentle suction, separating the pigmented top layer cleanly. This thin pigmented layer is then placed onto the prepared white patch. Heals with minimal scarring.

Melanocyte-Keratinocyte Transplant (MKTP / non-cultured cellular grafting)

Considered the gold standard for stable vitiligo. A small piece of healthy skin is taken, the melanocytes are separated in the lab on the same day, and the cell suspension is applied to the prepared white area. Allows treatment of larger areas in a single session.
Recovery & Timeline
What to expect
Detail
Anaesthesia
Local — you are awake and comfortable
Duration
60 min – 3 hours depending on area and technique
Hospital stay
Daycare for small areas; overnight observation for larger MKTP cases
Repigmentation timeline
Visible results in 8–12 weeks; full result in 6 months
Donor site healing
2–3 weeks, hidden under clothing

Results vary based on individual assessment, vitiligo stability, and skin response. Surgical grafting is offered only after thorough evaluation.

Why a Plastic Surgeon for Vitiligo?

Why choose a plastic surgeon for vitiligo treatment?

HOSPITAL

Apollo Hospitals, Financial District

Performed in a fully accredited tertiary care hospital — sterile theatre, advanced infection control, hospital-grade safety standards. Not a clinic room.

SURGEON

A plastic surgeon, every time

Performed personally by Dr. Vasu. No technicians, no junior staff, no routing through general practice. Plastic surgery technique applied to every repair, however small.

CREDENTIALS

AIIMS · NIMS · Barcelona · Sydney

30+ years of clinical experience. 5,000+ procedures performed. Internationally trained in aesthetic surgery at one of Europe’s most respected institutes.

” 

I don’t aim to change who you are. I work to enhance what is already there.

--DR. RAJESH VASU

What to Expect at Your Consultation

Your first consultation — what happens

01

History & assessment

Detailed history of patch onset, family history, prior treatments. Examination under Wood’s lamp to assess type and activity.

20–30 MIN

02

Stability evaluation

Photographs, mapping of patches, comparison with prior history. This determines whether you are a candidate for surgery or phototherapy.

03

Treatment plan discussion

We walk you through your options, expected timelines, costs, and realistic outcomes. No pressure. No upselling.

04

Next steps

If phototherapy: schedule first session. If surgery: pre-operative work-up. If neither yet: follow-up in 3 months

RESULTS

Before. After.

Real patients. Real repairs. All photographs published with written consent.

Patient 1 · Female, 34                                             3 months post

Patient 2 · Female, 34                                              3 months post

Patient 3 · Female, 34                                              3 months post

Individual results vary. Photographs are representative, not guaranteed outcomes. Consultation required to assess suitability.

PATIENT REVIEWS

What patients actually say.

Real patients. Real repairs. All photographs published with written consent.

★★★★★ 
 

I’d been hiding my torn earlobes under my hair for nearly a decade. Thirty minutes with Dr. Vasu and they were gone. The scar is honestly invisible. I wish I’d done it years ago.

Priya K.

Hyderabad · Verified Google review

★★★★★ 
 

Calm, surgical, completely judgment-free. I had stretched lobes from old gauges and Dr. Vasu treated it as a serious repair, not a cosmetic afterthought. Healed beautifully.

Arjun R.

Hyderabad · Verified Practo review

 

★★★★★ 
 

I went to two dermatologists before I came here. The difference in technique is immediately obvious. This is a plastic surgeon doing a plastic surgeon’s job.

Reema S.

Hyderabad · Verified Google review

RECOGNISED BY

Outlook India

India Today

ISAPS

APTOS Trainer

IMCAS Paris

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Questions, answered honestly.

Is vitiligo curable?

There is no permanent “cure” in the sense of preventing it from ever recurring. But repigmentation — restoring lost colour — is achievable in the majority of cases through phototherapy or surgical grafting, depending on stability and type.

Is vitiligo contagious?

No. Vitiligo cannot be passed from one person to another by touch, sharing food, or any other form of contact. It is an autoimmune-related condition, not an infection.

Will my children inherit vitiligo?

There is a slight genetic component — about 6–8% of children with one affected parent develop vitiligo, compared to 1% in the general population. It is not directly inherited; the predisposition is.

Can vitiligo spread? How fast?

It can spread, especially during the active phase. Rate varies — some patients see slow spread over years; others have faster phases. Once stable for 12+ months, the risk of further spread drops significantly.

How long does treatment take to show results?

Phototherapy: visible repigmentation typically begins in 8–12 weeks of consistent twice-weekly sessions. Surgical grafting: visible repigmentation in 8–12 weeks, full colour matching by 6 months.

Will the new pigment match my original skin tone?

In most cases, yes — particularly with surgical grafting using your own melanocytes. Full colour matching takes time as the new pigment develops. Sun exposure (in moderation, supervised) helps the matching.

Is surgical vitiligo treatment permanent?

The grafted pigment cells are your own and behave like your normal skin. They are stable in most patients, especially if vitiligo remains stable. A small percentage may experience recurrence and require touch-up grafting.

 What does vitiligo treatment cost in Hyderabad?

Phototherapy is priced per session and as a course. Surgical grafting is priced based on the area treated and the technique used. Specific pricing is shared after the consultation, when we know the exact pathway. We commit to full transparency before any treatment begins.

Can children undergo vitiligo treatment?

Children can safely undergo conservative treatment — topicals and phototherapy — under supervision. Surgical grafting is reserved for adulthood, after vitiligo has been stable for at least 12 months.

What's the difference between phototherapy and surgical grafting?

Phototherapy uses targeted ultraviolet light to stimulate the patient’s existing melanocytes — it works for active vitiligo where there are still pigment cells to stimulate. Surgical grafting transplants healthy melanocytes from elsewhere on the body — it works for stable vitiligo where local pigment cells are largely absent.

Restore what matters. One small repair.

A consultation is the start of clarity. We will assess your vitiligo, identify whether you are a candidate for phototherapy, surgical grafting, or a combined approach — and give you a realistic plan. No obligation, no pressure.