Myths & Facts About Vitiligo

As a child, Samaira had questions running through her mind; whenever she saw her aunt who had white patches on her skin. The white patches occurred around her mouth, nose, and eye sections. Samira was mean and named her ‘white patches aunty’ which other people also started to call her. There is a lot of social stigmas caused by the cosmetic blemishes of this skin whitening disease. Leucoderma or vitiligo patients are subjected to isolation, whispered comments, antagonism, and insult.

Vitiligo (pronounced as it-il-eye-go) is a skin disease that causes depigmentation (loss of skin color) in irregular patchy patterns. According to a research study by Research Gate, the occurrence of leucoderma is found to be around 0.25to2.5% in India. While these white patches on the skin don’t produce any physical impairment, they may significantly influence the psychological wellbeing of the patients. Inadequate knowledge and misconceptions are the key reasons for undue apprehension, associated with leucoderma. Raising awareness is one way to help dispel the damaging myths and misunderstandings, surrounding this visible skin disease. Here are some of the most common myths about leukoderma, and the facts behind them.

Myth: Individuals with vitiligo are born with patchy uneven skin because they have multi-racial parents.

Fact: Vitiligo is not related to the ethnicity of the parents and most people have even skin pigmentation at birth. Leucoderma is a progressive skin disease that generally emerges as discolored patches, before the age of 20, though it can occur at an older age.

Myth: Only dark-skinned people get vitiligo.

Fact: Vitiligo affects people of all races equally; however, it may be more noticeable in people with dark skin.

Myth: Vitiligo is related to other skin diseases such as skin cancer, leprosy, and albinism (skin, hair, or eyes have little or no color).

Fact: Vitiligo is a different skin disease and it is not related to skin cancer, leprosy, or albinism. It is an autoimmune skin disease in which the immune system attacks and kills the cells that provide skin color, called melanocytes. Though it can be more common in people with a family history of leucoderma, it can affect anyone.

Don’t hide white spots on the skin, treat them naturally: https://www.drbatras.com/skin-diseases/vitiligo

Myth: Vitiligo only affects exposed skin, such as on the face and hands.

Fact: White patches caused by vitiligo tend to occur more commonly in sun-exposed areas, such as hands, feet, arms, face, and lips. However, these patches can also occur in the armpits, groins, eyes, torso, genitals, and other areas. Similar patches may also appear on both the mucous membranes (tissues that line the inside of the mouth and nose) and the retina (inner layer of the eyeball). The hair that grows on the areas affected by leukoderma can turn white as well. In some people, the white patches may appear small but may increase in size and number, as the disease progresses.

Myth: Vitiligo is the result of a wrong food combination like drinking milk shortly after eating fish.

: Vitiligo appears to be entirely unaffected by food choices. Therefore, avoiding certain food items will have no impact on the progression of this skin condition.

Myth: People with vitiligo are often impaired with other physical and mental disabilities.

Fact: Most people with vitiligo are normal energetic individuals with a life-altering, skin disease. The disease may be more common in people who have other autoimmune diseases, such as:

• Hyperthyroidism—an overactive thyroid gland.
• Adrenocortical insufficiency—the adrenal gland does not produce enough steroid hormones. (cortisol &mineralocorticoid — impaired production of aldosterone).
• Alopecia areata—patchy hair loss.
• Pernicious anemia—a low level of red blood cells caused by the failure of the body to absorb vitamin B12.

Myth: You can predict who will have vitiligo and how extensive the disease will be, by looking at them.

Fact: There is no superficial way to predict who will get vitiligo disease. The diagnosis of leucoderma is based on a physical examination, medical history, laboratory tests, sometimes including a 3D skin analysis. Leucoderma is usually progressive, which means that over a period of time, the white patches may spread to other areas of the body. Some people may report further depigmentation, due to physical or emotional stress.

Myth: You can cure vitiligo by using vitiligo remedies, such as oils, lotions, or creams.

: Unfortunately, there is no easy treatment that addresses vitiligo skin disease. However, there are a number of therapies, including UV light therapy, surgical skin grafts, tattooing, steroids, and other conventional medications. But they may cause side-effects, such as permanent scarring, sunburn, and painful blisters. Additionally, homeopathic medications can treat vitiligo disease without causing any side-effects.

Myth: If you see someone with vitiligo, you should turn the other way because it’s contagious.

Fact: Vitiligo is not contagious, and it cannot be passed through contact. It cannot be transmitted via touch, saliva, inhalation, sexual intercourse, or the sharing of personal items, such as water bottles and towels.

Also read: https://www.drbatras.com/lets-discuss-facts-vitiligo