Vitiligo- Do you have it? What are the treatments?

Good day ATS.

I have a couple questions in regards to Vitiligo. Of course I could join a health forum to ask these questions, but I'd rather my friends here.

Over the course of the summer, while working on a few hobby vehicles I have, I noticed one day that I was developing white blotches on my hands.
I thought to myself, "I must have gotten some sort of chemical on my paws, or just caught some sun with some very dirty mitts the other day"
I went to the bathroom and started scrubbing...and scrubbing and scrubbing. This is odd, maybe it will go away, I said to myself.
Over the course of the next few days I kept an eye on it. But it wasn't going away.
I made a point of trying to get my hands to get tanned to see if, like I mentioned I had dirty on my hands and caught a tan.
No such luck. It just made the white parts on my hands turn bright pink and stand out more.

Now I started to get worried.
I was thinking is this going to spread to my face? Is it going to cover my entire body? How does this happen? How is it both my hands have this starting at the same time?

I decided to take a picture of my hands to see if it was spreading, and compare with daily.
That was back in early August. A few months later and I haven't seen any sign of this clearing up.

I made a dermatologist appointment back at the end of September. But due to the lack a specialists in my city, my appointment isn't until December 6th. So I still have some time until I can get some answers and hopefully start some sort of a treatment. But I've also read, there isn't much that can be done. In fact, it's not really known why this starts. The medical professionals know how it works, that the pigmentation dies off and that's how it comes to be, but why?

Do any of you fine folks have Vitiligo? If so, what treatments have you tried and was here any success?

I personally can't really tell if it's spreading, but below is the first picture I took at the beginning of August, and the following picture is of today. Can anyone of you sharp eyed members see any spread?

From August 3rd:



From today:




I appreciate anyone taking the time to help out.
Thanks ATS.

My whole body is pale white and when I try to tan I just turn pink too. It's been that way since 1990.

a reply to: Aldakoopa

Did it just start happening one day out of the blue?

I haven't done anything out of the ordinary asides from getting a chest infection.
I got a bad chest infection in July and was put on antibiotics. I took the meds for 10 days as prescribed. Then a week later stopping taking them, I noticed the blotches.

However, They could have been there longer and it's just coincidence that I noticed it at that time. I'm just trying to make sense of it.

a reply to: Macenroe82

I have it and have had it since I was young. Not really sure when. Like you it just popped up. I went to the Dermatologist and they said there was nothing that could be done. I did this when I first got it. Years latter I decided to call a dermatologist once again to see if any break through. Nothing. They told me to stay out of the sun, like that was going to happen, a person has to live. I will say that I use nurtrigen 100 when I am going out fishing and the likes. I wear long sleeve shirts and don't where shorts.
I guess what I am trying to say is that it is what it is. I have it all over including my face. I don't even know I have it until someone ask about it. Then it gets a little uncomfortable.
Be who you are don't let it get you down.........it aint nothing but a thing.

My dermatologist did say that it was hereditary.

It may just be a fungus.

Back in 1993, I was on leave from tech school in the Air Force. I went to my Dad's house in Monroe, LA.

I ran a shower and his water was rusty brown....I was concerned to say the least. At any rate, a week later I had blotches of discoloration across my chest and shoulders.

Upon returning to San Antonio, I went to sick call at Wilford Hall Medical Center and was prescribed a pink lotion I had to apply once a day for a month. I can't recall the actual prescription, but it cleared up eventually.

I hope the same for your situation.

a reply to: Tarzan the apeman.

Thanks Tarzan,

If I was younger - 35 now, I know I'd be freaking out more.
It bothers me that I don't know what caused this. I think maybe it could have been prevented.
But like you said, you have to live. I was thinking of maybe getting some hand tattoos to cover it up. I've always wanted to get both hands done anyway, this gives me a reason now lol.
I read that others have done the same thing.

a reply to: EternalShadow

I never thought about a fungus.
I'm really hoping it's some that can be cured. But if not, it is what it is.

I have spot like that all over my arms, but they are welding burns and scars. I guess you would know if you had some slight cuts or such though? working on cars it can happen.

a reply to: Macenroe82

Don't worry about it, unless you start developing a strong desire to bite people.

Two of my 3 kids have Vitiligo. My oldest started losing the pigment in her skin when she was 10 or so. It’s on the side of her face and neck, and the hairline on the back of her neck. She even has a small patch of white hair right there. It started slowly, and as a small patch. I took her to several dermatologists, and we tried a bunch of different things. We gave her different vitamin supplements (lots of B), and one doctor had her washing her body with Head and Shoulders (if it were caused by a fungus). Nothing worked, unfortunately. In high school she wore a special makeup base - I think it’s a tattoo covering makeup (Dermablend) and we would color the white streak. She eventually came to accept it, and rarely hides it anymore.

My son, on the other hand, only has it on his back. And his skin tone is such that you can’t really tell (we joke that he’s the whitest white person ever, whereas my daughter is more olive toned). He isn’t even fazed by it.

Anyway, as far as true vitiligo goes, not much can be done about it as far as I know. Sometimes the pigment cells just go away, I guess. I’m sorry I can’t give you a sure-fire cure. I hope yours is temporary, but if it isn’t, you CAN cover it if it bothers you. Good luck!

a reply to: Lolliek

Is vitiligo hereditary?
If so, I'm not aware of anyone in my family having it.
I'll try the head and shoulders in the meantime till my dermatologist appt.
Thanks for the tip!

a reply to: Macenroe82

edit
wasnt funnys

a reply to: Macenroe82

I just remembered another treatment that was suggested, and it was a “light therapy”. Not sure if it was with lasers or with UV. It was about 15 years ago, so I can’t remember exactly. You may want to research that. We didn’t do it because it was pretty expensive at the time. It could be cheaper now.

From what we were told, it can be hereditary. It seems to affect more people with Mediterranean or North African descent (although it may be that it’s diagnosed more due to more pigmentation), which fits the bill in my case. Which would also mean that I passed it down due to the fact my daughter and son are half-siblings. They’re also 10 years apart in age, so their environments were different at onset (different house, city, pets, etc.). That doesn’t mean it can’t be environmental, just unlikely.

Trivia tidbit- Michael Jackson had Vitiligo.

Edit to add that it was suggested that it could be triggered by stress. She WAS a bit stressed at the time due to family stuff. Could this be in your case?

It almost appears that there is a little spot at the center of those white spots. Vitiligo can start after an infection. Were you swimming in a lake that could have had swimmers itch in it?

Try rubbing a little coconut oil on your skin to try to help the problem. If it is being pronounced by an infection, the coconut oil may help to moderate it so it doesn't get worse. Vitiligo can have different causes, the genetic kind is probably not going to be helped by the coconut oil. But this looks like there may be a root to this case, something possibly causing it. I know a few people with Vitilligo and they do not seem to have the spots in the middle. Although, to be honest, I do not stare at their marks so they can be there. We are taught not to stare at people's flaws when we are young and never to mention them. Which is kind of wrong if you might be able to help them get rid of their problem.

I will only tell someone about possible ways to fix a problem if they ask if I know something that may help.

a reply to: rickymouse


I don't have have vitiglio but I have SOMETHING! had this for many years I have small spots mostly on my arms a few on my legs..I am fair skinned so if I get a tan or a burn these spots have no pigment so the darker I get the more noticeable they are...I use sun screen regularly so this doesn't happen...can't really see them in the winter time

they don't itch or hurt...no raised area at all they are about the size of a pencil eraser...looked it up once...no treatment as far as I know

a reply to: Macenroe82

I made a thread on Vitiligo several years ago, seeking some information for a friend. It never got too much attention sadly.

Although I don't have much to ad here, there are a few suggestions and some links you might want to have a look at.

Seeking help regarding Vitiligo.

originally posted by: research100
a reply to: rickymouse


I don't have have vitiglio but I have SOMETHING! had this for many years I have small spots mostly on my arms a few on my legs..I am fair skinned so if I get a tan or a burn these spots have no pigment so the darker I get the more noticeable they are...I use sun screen regularly so this doesn't happen...can't really see them in the winter time

they don't itch or hurt...no raised area at all they are about the size of a pencil eraser...looked it up once...no treatment as far as I know

I have a few spots like that, I think it is some sort of scar tissue, I noticed it happens around old wounds. Maybe something in the cells around the wound changes. Maybe it comes from a repair of the tissue. I never bothered researching why. If I slowly tan, they do not show up, it is only when I overdo it and stay out in the sun for half a day, like picking berries in late June or early July. They eventually do darken though, I just looked at my arms and there don't seem to be any anymore like there is in early summer.

Is this how yours act? Or are they more permanent till the skin lightens up?

a reply to: Lolliek

Stress is quite possible as a cause.
I work full time and have a side business that keeps me very busy.
Plus having 3 kids, there's always, always, always some issue asking place.
So stress seems like a very likely culprit.

a reply to: rickymouse

I wasnt in a lake at that time. It wasnt until mid August I ended up going swimming.

I was looking at fungal infections after another poster suggested that it may be fungal, and there does appear to be certain fungus that does appear to look like vitiligo. Specifically - Candida.

I make black peppercorns tea every morning to keep the insides cleaned out and to help my body absorb the other supplements I take.
but one claim of drinking the tea is that it helps fight vitiligo by helping the body produce more melanin. of course with it being a natural substance, there's no hardcore proof, but it had to have helped enough people for it to get a mention.