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“Vitiligo is caused by the loss of melanocytes, which are responsible for skin color. The skin becomes pale or white because it lacks pigmentation. This can affect any part of your body including face, neck, arms, hands, feet and around openings of the body like mouth and nose.”
“Early diagnosis and treatment will help to avoid this condition in later life stage. These days vitiligo is highly treatable with improved results due to advancement in medical science development.”
“Some people who suffer from vitiligo try experimental treatments before consulting a doctor. Many products are easily available online also, but these should be avoided without doctor’s consultation.” These are the things you should know before undergoing vitiligo treatment:
1. Early diagnosis will help to avoid this condition in later life stages:
When you see white patches on your skin, please don’t ignore them. Take a photo of the affected area and consult a dermatologist as soon as possible. Visit a doctor immediately because vitiligo generally advances with time, and the effort required to treat it also goes up.
2. There are good skincare products for vitiligo treatment:
There is no universal cure for vitiligo, but you can apply some creams to lighten the color of your patches. The product will not help in repigmentation, which means that the white patches will still be there. However, it will make them less noticeable.
3. Don’t try experimental treatments before consulting a doctor:
Many people try experimental treatments or home remedies before consulting a doctor for vitiligo treatment. Some of these are herbal masks, laser therapy, garlic supplements, etc. While most of them are harmless, one should consult a skin specialist if they don’t work.
4. Vitiligo is not contagious:
Vitiligo is not at all infectious, but it could be an autoimmune disease. It is common in both men and women and can affect all age groups.
5. Vitiligo does not cause any other health issues:
Vitiligo is generally considered a cosmetic issue, but if the white patches are on your eyelids, you might experience eye problems. Other than that, there are no side effects of vitiligo.
6. Avoid Experimental treatments without a doctor’s consultation:
Many people try experimental treatments or home remedies before consulting a doctor for vitiligo treatment. Some of these are herbal masks, laser therapy, garlic supplements, etc. While most of them are harmless, one should consult a skin specialist if they don’t work.
7. Do not worry; treatment is available:
Although vitiligo cannot be cured completely, it can be treated and controlled. You will see an improvement in the white patches with treatments.
8. Early treatment is best:
Treatment depends on how early you have detected the disease, and your doctor might ask you to visit for check-ups after every few months or years. Early detection will improve your chances of treatment success.
9. Stay away from popular misconceptions:
There are many common myths that people believe when it comes to vitiligo. Some people think that this disease is contagious, while others acknowledge that if they get affected, then it will be transferred to their kids. However, both the assumptions are wrong. Vitiligo is not contagious, and even if you get involved, there are meagre chances of transmission.
10. Vitiligo treatment is lengthy:
Although vitiligo can be treated, the treatment process is lengthy. It will take months or even years before you see any improvement in your white patches. Some treatments require multiple sessions to show results, while others
11. Don’t try over-the-counter medications without consulting your doctor:
Many people try over-the-counter medications but avoid consulting a doctor. Vitiligo treatment requires special cream, and one should buy it either from an authorized store or dermatologist. The problematic area should be adequately cleaned before the application.
12. Avoid exposure to sunlight:
Sunlight can worsen your white patches, so you should avoid exposure to sunlight, especially during mid-day when the sun is harshest for the skin. Spots on the body are more sensitive to sunlight than spots on the face. You can use sunscreen if you have to go out of the house in sunlight. Also, apply sunscreen with SPF 30 before stepping out of home, even on cloudy days, because UV rays penetrate through clouds.
13. Don’t put yourself in a stressful situation:
Stress is not going to cause vitiligo, but it can worsen the white patches. So, try to avoid stress as much as possible until your treatment shows results. If you have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety, speak to your doctor about medications that might help you deal with the problem.
14. Take care of your diet:
Avoid refined sugars and carbohydrates in your diet, which will affect the healing process of your white patches. Vitiligo treatment requires a high protein diet, so opt for lean meats and fish while avoiding intake of processed meat because they contain salt, which irritates skin condition further.
15. Avoid smoking and alcohol:
You should not smoke and drinking alcohol if you want to control the spread of white patches. Nicotine is not suitable for the skin and can worsen your vitiligo, while alcohol will dehydrate your skin further.
16. Vitiligo treatment might affect appearance:
You must be aware of side effects before undergoing any cosmetic procedure because vitiligo treatments require multiple sessions, which may affect the appearance of the affected area. If you are experiencing any therapy, then tell your doctor about it before starting.
17. There is no age limit for vitiligo treatment:
Although some people think that this disease can only affect adults, children can also suffer from it. Your child might be too young to understand the changes in their skin, but don’t let them go through emotional distress because there is treatment available for vitiligo at any stage.
18. Know your treatment options:
It would help if you went for non-invasive treatments before opting for surgery. Non-invasive procedures include topical creams and laser lights, while invasive treatments like skin grafting can leave significant scars. There are many natural remedies that you can try at home, such as turmeric or papaya paste which will reduce white patches without affecting your appearance.
19. Vitiligo does not affect internal organs:
Many people believe that vitiligo affects internal organs too, but this is not true. Vitiligo only affects the skin, and there are no known side effects on body parts other than white patches.
20. Vitiligo treatment options:
There are many treatments available for vitiligo, and you should opt for them after thoroughly checking the pros and cons of each option. Talk to your doctor about which treatment would suit you the best before starting on any course.
21. There is no single cause behind vitiligo:
Like various symptoms of any disease, there is more than one cause behind developing white patches in your skin. The most common causes include autoimmune disorder, genetic disorder, and pigment cell damage.
Other causes include:
* Pityriasis Versicolor: It’s a fungal infection that may be the reason behind white patches on the skin.
* Chemical exposure: Some people develop white spots due to chemical exposure at their places of work which includes exposure to certain chemicals like ammonium sulfate or rubber cement.
* Excessive intake of vitamin B3 (niacin): Your diet should contain an adequate amount of vitamin B, but taking too much of it can trigger vitiligo symptoms. This is because your body will build resistance against niacin if you consume more than needed, so your immune system will attack melanocytes (cells that produce skin pigmentation).
* Stressful life events: Your mental state has a significant impact on your immune system, resulting in vitiligo if you are going through stressful life events.
* Autoimmune disease: Many autoimmune diseases also affect pigment cells, so diagnosing them early is important.
22. Vitiligo does not cause cancer:
Vitiligo is not related to cancer because it affects only skin color, and there are no risks of tumor development inside your body. Vitiligo treatment requires long-term commitment, but keeping white patches under control will further improve your skin’s health.
23. Makeup is not advised with vitiligo treatment:Â
Your doctor may advise against using makeup while undergoing different treatments for vitiligo, but sometimes cosmetic procedures might be necessary. For instance, if you are going for skin grafting, applying makeup on the scar after surgery is strictly prohibited, and you should follow your dermatologist’s advice in such cases.
24. Vitiligo does not cause hair loss:
Hair fall is also a common problem among people with vitiligo, but it’s not caused by vitiligo. Hair loss can be triggered by many factors, such as stress or specific medication, so you should differentiate between the two.
25. Vitiligo is not a cosmetic disorder:
Vitiligo is not a condition that affects your appearance alone; it can cause psychological distress as well. If you’re facing this problem, then talk to your doctor about the treatment options and how long they would take for results.
26. It is not a life-threatening disease:
The primary reason why people are scared of vitiligo is that they think that it’s a life-threatening condition, but this isn’t true. The only symptom of vitiligo is depigmentation, and it has no other side effects, which means you can lead a healthy life even with white patches on your skin.
27. Consult a specialist:
If your skin doctor is not fully aware of different treatments options or their side effects, it’s better to consult an expert on vitiligo treatment. This way, you will get a customized plan for your treatment and recover from the disorder faster.
28. Vitiligo does not affect your internal organs:
Vitiligo can be a distressing condition, but many people are scared that it might cause other health problems like kidney or liver failure. However, this is not the case with vitiligo because depigmentation only affects skin color, and there is no risk of any long-term damage to your internal organs.
29. Vitamin B12 injection:
Vitiligo can be triggered by stress and depression, so your doctor might recommend vitamin B12 injections. Research has shown that particular types of vitamin B can boost immunity and reduce the number of melanocytes responsible for skin pigmentation.
30. Consult a homeopathy doctor for vitiligo:
- Vitiligo treatment in homeopathy has a holistic approach which means that it takes care of the whole body and not just the patches on the skin. You can get rid of white spots faster if you seek homeopathic treatment for your disorder.
- Homeopathic treatment for vitiligo is based on individualization, which means you will have a plan according to your lifestyle and genetic makeup, so consult a homeopathy doctor for better results.
- Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder, so it’s not caused by any external factor like bacteria, virus, or fungus, making it non-infectious. However, there
- If you are looking for an alternative treatment option, consulting a homeopathy doctor is the best thing. Homeopathy can help people with vitiligo by boosting their immunity and improving blood flow to skin cells (which reduces pigmentation). It also uses natural remedies that do not have any side effects on your body.
- Vitiligo treatment requires time and commitment from your side, but homeopathy can help you get naturally rid of this condition.
- Instead of undergoing expensive treatments or taking medications that may have adverse effects, you should try homeopathic remedies for vitiligo.
- The best part about the homeopathy treatment is that it does not cause any severe side effects, and you can manage your condition without undergoing laser surgery or taking medication.
- Homeopathic treatment for vitiligo helps you relieve the symptoms of depigmentation, halt further spread of white patches and even restore skin color with time.
- You should tell your homeopathy doctor about all other medications that you are taking because there might be a drug interaction if you’re using some other medicines along with vitiligo treatment.
Most importantly, mention everything to your homeopathy doctor that can affect your immune system, like stress or hormonal changes, before starting the course of any medicine for this condition.
Also, ask your homeopathy doctor whether it’s safe to undergo different processes like cryosurgery (freezing therapy) or laser resurfacing while undergoing another treatment option so that they can adjust their plan accordingly. You can book an appointment through OHO Homeopathy to find out about one of the best treatments for Vitiligo.