Vitiligo is a medical condition that causes the skin to lose its true color. Vitiligo differs from person to person, some may have just a few small spots and others may have a more general discoloration. Vitiligo is an acquired condition that can develop anywhere on the body where there is patchy loss of melanin from the epidermis, causing the skin to have pale patches all over.
Approximately half of the patients develop vitiligo by the age of twenty, and almost 90% of them develop it by the age of forty. And it is also seen that twenty percent of people living with vitiligo have someone in their blood relationship with the same condition.
Skin color is created by special cells known as melanocytes. When the melanocytes are not able to consistently produce enough color for our body, then this condition occurs and affects our skin. The patches that form due to this are called macules. These lesions are generally painless and the size of the macules varies and can be found anywhere on the body.
Causes of vitiligo
People of all races develop this condition. Vitiligo in patients can be classified into 2 main types, commonly known as external and internal reasons. Some of the common external causes that we saw with vitiligo patients is excessive wearing of tight clothing. Tight clothing often leaves marks or scratches on the person’s body that can later develop into vitiligo.
It was also seen that some of the patients using plastic or nylon sleepers had the same problem. Pollution also plays an important role as the percentage of vitiligo is higher in cities with higher levels of pollution. It has also been seen on several occasions that vitiligo started in a woman who had recently gone through a major hormonal change, eg pregnancy or stopping/starting the pill.
The excessive use of antibiotics was also considered one of the causes of vitiligo. Vitiligo also occurs at sites of skin injuries, cuts, scrapes, burns. Wearing artificial jewelry is another common reason in women. Hypertensions can also lead to higher risks of contracting vitiligo in patients. Stress is seen as the key factor behind what could have deregulated your immune system. You should try to focus on reducing tension and anxiety as much as possible. Stressful conditions can reduce your recovery and can lead to skin problems.
With years of experience and with the help of Ayurveda, we have also seen that some bad eating habits have also played a major role in increasing toxic levels in the human body. Eating things like lemon, curd, pickles with or after milk can increase toxic levels, which in turn can increase the risk of infection or skin discoloration. Another thing that we should avoid is eating non-vegetarian food with milk.
40-50% of vitiligo patients also had stomach problems such as gas or constipation. These stomach problems usually affect our skin and can lead to vitiligo in most patients.
Where can Vitiligo affect?
Vitiligo is a skin problem that can affect any part of the body. Complete loss of pigment can affect your skin and can form a single patch or it can affect your skin with several patches. Some of the common areas where vitiligo skin problems can be seen are:
• Face, neck, eyelids, nostrils, fingertips, body folds such as armpits, navel, lips, etc.
• Skin problems are possible when there are injuries, cuts and wounds on the skin.
• Emotional and mental stress is another common problem seen.
• The color of hair, eyebrows and eyelashes can also change with the increase of Vitiligo.
• In some cases, the retina at the back of the eye may also be affected.
There is no way to show or predict the levels of pigment a person may have or lose. The severity of vitiligo generally differs with each individual. Vitiligo is also seen more in patients with naturally dark skin. A vitiligo specialist doctor can predict and plan treatment for vitiligo in a better way.