Conquering Vitiligo: Your Guide to Treatment and Self-Expression

Vitiligo is an auto-immune disease that leads to skin losing its colour or pigment. This causes your skin to seem lighter than normal or turn white. The white spots of vitiligo normally emerge as patches on different parts of the body. These patches generally increase in size with time. Although this condition does not threaten one’s life, but it can lead to mental stress and tension.

What causes vitiligo?

Basically, vitiligo happens due to a lack of skin pigment called melanin in your body.

An accurate reason for this is still unknown. But different vitiligo causes found by researchers are:-

1. An Auto-Immune Disorder- Your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells by identifying them as foreign invaders like bacteria that can have a negative effect on your body. People with an auto-immune disease such as psoriasis have a higher chance of getting this disease.

2. Genetic Mutation- A change in genetics or your body’s DNA can significantly affect the functioning of your body’s melanocytes. More than 30 different genes can increase the chances of getting vitiligo.

3. Environmental Factors- UV light and harmful chemical exposure, sunburn or injury to the skin can have an impact on how your melanocyte cells function. These factors can also cause vitiligo to spread in persons who already have it.

Signs of Vitiligo

Vitiligo symptoms can occur on any part of the body. The most common signs noticed in a person suffering from vitiligo are-

1. Skin colour loss in patches.

2. Premature greying or whitening of the hair.

3. Eyebrows lose their colour.

4. Mouth and nose tissues lose their colour.

5. Inflammation occurs in ears and eyes, causing loss of hearing and vision.

Kinds of Vitiligo-

There are two major types of vitiligo-

1. Vitiligo on one side- In this type, white spots are visible only on one side of the body, for instance, one knee, one leg, and one arm. This is a less prevalent form of vitiligo. It usually appears at a younger age and lasts for around one or two years before stopping. Some people with this illness experience hair loss.

2. Vitiligo on both sides- The most prevalent variety of vitiligo characterised by pale skin patches on both sides of the body. Its signs may appear on the hands, fingertips, wrists, around the eyes, or around the mouth.

Treatment for Vitiligo-

Every vitiligo treatment can’t return the original skin colour to all people. Treatments aim to restore pigment to some extent, delay the course of the disorder, and make the skin appear more even. One of the best vitiligo cures can be found in homeopathy.

Homeopathic treatment for vitiligo is comprehensive and is also provided on an individual basis. Individualized homeopathic treatments based on plant, animal, or mineral constituents are provided to patients. One of the advantages of homeopathic treatment is that it is entirely side-effect-free.