Seeking help regarding Vitiligo.

With so many smart individuals and experts here I thought what better place to ask.

I have a female friend who suffers from Vitiligo.
Vitiligo is a disorder that causes depigmentation of patches of skin. The above Wiki link has some pics for those who don't know what this is.

Ok, as you can imagine this can be extremely problematic for the afflicted individual, mainly in the form of depression.
What I am really looking for is 2 things.

1. A possible remedy, or something that helps to slow the process, stop it completely or perhaps even reverse it.
2. Maybe some personal experiences and some insight on how to deal with it.

I read on the link provided that the following treatments may remedy, reduce or slow the process:
- Combining Vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements with sun exposure causes repigmentation in 52% of cases.
- Ultraviolet light treatments.
- Use of the herb gingko biloba.
- Camoflage makeup

Perhaps a dermatologist expert or someone who has dealt with this personally can assist me with some ideas that have a chance of working or point me in the right direction.

reply to post by ShadowLink


Heres some information on using makeup to hide it.
prismatic mineral powders combined with liquid foundations seem to be some of the best at hiding marks and blemishes.
www.wikihow.com...
www.ehow.com...

reply to post by ShadowLink


I'd only say if it is a young person, to keep him/her out of the public school system. Kids are cruel.

As far as anyone else, makeup would help mask the issue. Any for depression, a standard routine of exercise will help anyone. It is something that builds confidence for anyone. People in wheelchairs and with other problems often overcome their fears by engaging with others who have the same problem. That can help.

Eat well..Educate ones self on what is healthy (fresh vegetables and moderate portions of fresh fruit)..and know what isn't (sugar, sweeteners, too much meat, white bread).

reply to post by ShadowLink

I'm always interested in healthy lifestyle to cure dis-eases. I'm not familiar with vitiligo but I was looking around a bit for you.
A vegetarian diet might help?

Vegetables: like Green Leaves, Beetroots, Spinach Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Carrots Fruits: like Peaches and Apricots apple, banana mangoes, Black dates
Grains: Whole grains like porridge an whole wheat products are better than the highly refined carbohydrates like pasta.
Pulses & Legumes:
Chickpeas have recently been shown in India to be very helpful in vitiligo
Protein: Vegetable proteins especially from Soya beans have been found useful for controlling the skin depigmentation. Animal proteins like meat and fish are however generally discouraged by the herbalists.
Oils and fats: Vegetable oils like Olive oil are rich in good fats keep you healthy anyways.
Nuts: (are also very useful because of a high content of vitamin E and the "good fats” that are beneficial for skin.
Fluids and water: Adequate hydration is an important component of healthy diet which should not be ignored What needs to avoided! Foods Rich in vitamin C, like citrus fruits, tomatoes and green tea should either be avoided or consumed in minimal quantities.
Non-Veg: Traditional herbalist believe that people with vitiligo should also avoid from eating Non-Vegetarian foods like Fish and Red Meats, as they may be highly antigenic and may worsen the auto-immune process. It is better to avoid even the Eggs, Milk, and Dairy products
Alcoholic and Flavored drinks as well as Ice Creams and Chocolates,are not good for most of the people whether or not they vitiligo and are best avoided.
The so called Junk food & Spices are also discouraged in vitiligo people.
Sour Foods like pickles, sour yogurt and sour strawberries are also considered to be risky.

A recent research has found blue berries to be harmful in vitiligo, and there is no reason why it should be taken
Vitiligo is currently at the forefront of research and many new and revised recommendations are likely to evolve in near future, and this article shall be periodically updated

www.antivitiligo.com...

This person claims this worked for them.

the treatment was: i used flaxseed oil fish oil (omega 3) vitamin b injections multi-vitamin (centrum) green tea (as much as i can drink) vitamin e i drink beet juice also. shark cartilage

vitiligocover.com...

There really isn't much you can do to combat vitiligo. I went to a dermatologist for mine and all they basically said was to use the ultra violet light treatment. I have mine on my arms and face

I've got vitiligo. There's not a lot in allopathy other than a cream or cosmetics. Loise Hay says it's about lack of self-love but I've got a pretty healthy sense of self and it hasn't gone away. Haven't had a lot of luck with dietary address though eating healthy can't hurt. I joke that it's my lightbody coming through. Of course I'm white, it's a lot more noticeable on black or brown people. Kids can be cruel to anybody that's different. I was fortunate enough to not have had it in childhood only getting it in my 30's. The best cure I've found is to not care what other people think and say "F**k it. This is part of who I am." Self-acceptance combined with a healthy dose of not giving a s**t about what other people think. It's worked for me.

reply to post by ShadowLink


quite literally this "illness" is turning people white i never thought of this before but this might be how white people came into existence maybe? I very well could be wrong and im most likely wrong but its just an assumption. Also Maybe its a by product of interbreeding between races? Having Dna that counter acts its original process and for some reason switches on the white skin genes that have been laying dormant for generations. As for your question I have no idea and sorry i couldn't help. But this topic got me thinking about why this would happen? Could it be adaptation ie someone of darker skin tones living among large populations of lighter skin tones ? Could it be a genetic malfunction? Could it be due to larger populations of one race over the planet more darker skin tones and this is natures way of leveling it out.

I have Celiac's disease & my one IRL Celiac friend has vitilligo also. From her I found out that the two often go hand-in-hand. Anyone with vitilligo should be checked for Celiac's, and other auto-immune problems.

I wish your friend could meet my friend - she takes it all in stride. She's all, "yep, I'm the lady with the white hands & feet. Everyone remembers me!" It's true, too. LOL

reply to post by pcrobotwolf

no, white people still have pigment, where as people with vitiligo have no pigment at all in certain spots

I had it since the age of 6/7. Got it after an op. It is your own antibodies that attack your color pigments, or so they assume.
I'll be 42 in August. Somewhere, between the ages of 20-35, I lost all my pigmentation. I believe it was due to stress! (having kids and husband, lol) I can honestly not say, when exactly I went all white.
The only place that does research, that I know of, is in São Paulo.

sprocket2cog
Thanks for the links. The make up however is kind of not an option at this time due to financial reasons. It is rather expensive I am told.
But definitely an excellent option pocket book permitting and I know it works good cause I seen a story about a black news reporter who had vitiligo and he used the make ups you mentioned and had I not seen him without it, I would have no idea he had this problem.

daynight42
LMAO, you are absolutely right, kids can often be crueler than adults! Especially when it comes to a visible physical issue.
As I stated above, makeup is a no. At least for the moment.
For the depression you are correct again, exercise is definitely one of the best medicines, not drugs.

seeker11
To take couple minutes to look up information on something that does not affect you and that you had no knowledge about prior to searching is above and beyond what I was expecting. Thank you for your efforts!
So far from what I have read it seems you have the right idea. A healthy diet and vitamins seems to be the way.
Of course this not only applies to vitiligo, but to all ailments and just an all around good quality of life.

sickofitall89
I am sorry to hear that you too suffer from it. I can't imagine what it's like to live with this. Todays society seems to think much ill of people who are different from normal and it's just unacceptable.
Only thing I can tell you, is keep hope my friend! Perhaps try some of the alternative ideas described in this thread, maybe you will be one of the lucky ones that benefits from one of these treatments.

coyotepoet
I am sorry to hear you have it also, but I welcome your comments greatly. It seems you have the same attitude as me when it comes to what others think.
I am me, and if you don't like it you can go F yourself!!!

It's also great that you can look on the bright side and even joke about it. I try to impart these same beleifs and ways of thinking to my friend however, no luck so far. ; (

pcrobotwolf
All I have to say to you is: Ignorance must be bliss!
Did you even bother to click the link I provided and maybe read the first paragraph? You know, where is states that it "may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress, neural, or viral causes." I guess not.
Anyway, thanks for your insight if you can call it that.

Schkeptick
Again, sorry to hear it and it's great that your friend is able to look lightly on it.
As for other related symptoms, as far as I know she is lucky in that department, but I will be sure to mention it to her.

madleo
Interesting. I was not aware that you could contract it from something like an operation. Till now I thought it was a genetic disorder.
Not sure if your skin is all uniform in color, but I would think it would be preferable to patches, idk.
You are right about the stress though, I have come across that numerous times looking into this.

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Ok, I think I responded to all of you.
I would like to thank you all for myself and on behalf of my friend for your input and I will be sure to pass on the information. Maybe this thread will benefit some others on here as well.
For those of you who have it, chin up! It's the inside that matters, not the outside.

Yep it's been better since I've gone 1 colour. I miss my normal skin colour though.
It creeps up on me sometimes, but there's nothing I can do, so I let it go.
I got it, cause the op was either a shock to my system or mentaly. I have to say that I handle stress very well mentally, so my body takes the beating. It's my opinion that, that is the reazon why I went all white without even realizing.
Keeping the stress hidden, not over reacting, probably "helped" me!
Just before I went all white, there were marks on my knees, feet, elbows, eyelids, cheeks, chin ec. I asked my husband if he remembers when it happened, and like me, he does not know.
Maybe it's a good thing that you friend is stressing, as long as she does not let it get her down!!! Send her my love!