More than hundred million people around the world become the victims of vitiligo. Many superstars have also got this disease. This disease causes depigmentation and creates milky white patches on the skin.

Lee Thomas a four time Emmy Award winning journalist has vitiligo which is turning him into a white man. He has written a new book “Turning White” in which he has shared his mental and physical battle against vitiligo. He mentioned in his book that even the people who know him do not make an eye contact with him whenever he comes in front of them without makeup. He has put some excerpts from his book on the web, so if you want to take a look then visit Turning White.

Lee first noticed it on his scalp when he was twenty five and started using a vitiligo cover makeup for disguising his vitiligo. Now he has vitiligo on more than half of the face. He uses a vitiligo cover makeup from COVER FX which he thinks is good for skin and offers maximum coverage.

Vitiligo has totally changed not only Lee Thomas’ life but of thousands of people as well and has put forward some psychological problems in front of them.

The most common symptom of vitiligo is white patches. These patches commonly appear on the areas of skin that are frequently exposed to sun such as hands, feet, arms, face and lips but sometimes these patches also appear on groin, armpits or genitals. The hair present on the white patches also lose pigment in some cases.

Vitiligo generally appears in one of three patterns, focal pattern, segmental pattern, or general pattern. In focal pattern white patches are limited to one or few areas of the skin and do not spread any further. In segmental pattern white patches appear only on one side of the body and the other side remains normally pigmented. In general pattern white patches occur on different parts of the body.

In universal vitiligo almost complete de-pigmentation occurs. No one can tell that whether your vitiligo would spread or remain stable because the course of vitiligo cannot be predicted. In most of the cases it is found that vitiligo progresses and appears on different parts of the body.

Dermatologists usually start by analyzing the skin under Wood’s Lamp and then family history of the patient because vitiligo is believed to be a hereditary skin disorder. Then further they can ask you about your medical history and events such as rash, sunburn, or other skin trauma at the site of vitiligo. In some cases they may also require a skin biopsy.

If you have white patches on your then it is not necessary that you have vitiligo, there are some other diseases as well which are related with depigmentation so you must visit a skin specialist for properly diagnosing your problem.

Taken from Vitiligosociety.org.uk:

Vitiligo is quite a common skin disease which affects at least one person in every hundred in countries throughout the world including the UK. Anyone, male or female, irrespective of skin colour or ethnic origin can develop the condition.

Vitiligo causes the skin, and sometimes the hair, to turn white in patches. This is because melanocytes, the cells which give the skin its colour, have either been damaged or destroyed. The disease can spread, rapidly or slowly, to cover the entire body surface (universal vitiligo) but this is not inevitable. The most common form of vitiligo appears in symmetrical form (generalized vitiligo) affecting both sides of the body. In some cases only one half of the body is affected (segmental vitiligo) and this type has limited progression and is more difficult to treat. Vitiligo can begin at any age, though about fifty percent of people develop it before the age of twenty.

You cannot catch vitiligo. It is not infectious. Although there are no physical symptoms apart from sunburn in the white patches if they are not protected from the sun, it can cause severe psychological distress, especially when the face, neck, hands and genitals are affected. Although the disease is more noticeable on dark or tanned skin the degree of distress is not necessarily linked to skin colour or to the extent of the disease. However, people with dark skin from certain ethnic groups who develop vitiligo may feel particularly stigmatized and fear a loss of identity should the disease become widespread.

The course of vitiligo is unpredictable. Some people may not notice a change in their condition for many years, while for others it can spread quite rapidly. In some cases the white patches can spontaneously repigment, particularly in children, though it is rare for the disease to resolve completely without treatment.

I wonder if Michael Jackson’s vitiligo started early, possibly even when he was in his early teens, with minor areas of depigmentation that probably neither he nor anyone around him paid much attention to. I think around his late teen years it started becoming a little more apparent and then you can see in the Triumpth Tour in 1981 it was something that was affecting him so much that he was wearing heavy stage make-up to cover it.

His make up artist Karen Faye who started working with him around Thriller said:

“It started happening relatively early, he even was trying to hide it from me..he tried to hide it for quite awhile. He’d always try to cover it with makeup and even out his skin tone until it got so extensive. It’s all over his body. We were always trying to hide it and cover it for the longest time until he just had to tell Oprah and tell the world, ‘Listen I’m not trying to be white, I have a skin disease.’ In the beginning I tried to cover the light spots to match the darker part of his skin, but then it became so extensive that we had to go with the lighter part of his skin because his whole body was reacting…he’d have to be in complete full body makeup, every inch of his body. So it was easier to make the transition to him being to the lighter shade that he is.”

You can’t “trigger” Vitiligo or “cause” it — it either will affect someone or not. No amount of skin bleach can create the same permanent effects that Vitiligo has, no amount of skin bleach will cause someone to end up with the disorder. In fact to even attempt to come close to the level of lightness Michael Jackson had would most likely result in death by toxicity.

If anyone is capable of finding me someone who used to be as dark as Michael but solely thanks to bleaching agents is now as lilly white as he was then you’re more than welcome to send me and every newspaper in the world the evidence.

There aren’t very many pictures of Michael with Vitiligo because he would try to cover it up as best he could with heavy stage make-up. Another thing common in Vitiligo sufferers is covering yourself up from head-to-toe in order to hide it, something Michael did from the early 1980s onwards. Trying to find photos of him in tee shirts and shorts after 1981 is almost impossible!

These pictures and the evidence for Michael’s Vitiligo have been around since the 1980s and yet I know I’ve never seen them published in any mainstream articles regarding his illness. When discussing his Vitiligo they’ll post a picture of him in 1980 and then one from 1992 onwards to show the dramatic change as though he woke up one morning without any pigment. They also never show any photos of him with the splotches of colour he had left and try to make it seem as though he was now a universal “white” colour when in fact he wasn’t.

Some photos of his Vitiligo:

He’s maybe 12-14 here. His left hand here has uneven pigment. As you can see later on his hands and face seemed to be affected the most to start with.

He’s around 16-19 here (anyone wanna clarify?) and going through acne, but you can see the area underneath his eye is lighter than the rest of his face:

From around the same time period, uneven pigmentation around his face again:

Still pre the official diagnosis in ‘84, on the Triumph tour his stage make up runs and you can see the depigmentation:

Around Thriller, when he says he received the official diagnosis and when it seems to become extensive:

Bad Tour, his hands:

TWYMMF set picture:

Black or White close up of his hands:

They Don’t Care About Us, over his arms and chest.

Around History:

And then recently:

When he had the snakebite he had photos taken as evidence:

If he could bleach his entire body white surely he’d take the time to remove these blotches, right?

It was never something he had any control over. The most he could do was carry out the depigmentation process recommended to him by his dermatologist which helps even out the skintone. If you are susceptible to Vitiligo or it is already in the early stages then stress can aggrevate it.  The stress of growing up the way he did, the fame he received, even possibly the Pepsi burn could all have helped advance it furthur.

It was also the reason Michael began to wear the white glove, Cicely Tyson says she was there when the glove was coming about:

All of a sudden, he [the designer] said, ‘I’m doing this glove for Michael’. Michael was beginning to develop the vitiligo and it started on his hand. The glove was to cover the vitiligo; that’s how that glove came into being.” The glove design and reason for it were not just hearsay for Tyson, she said. “I was there when he was creating it.”

I never liked the glove, although when I saw his monstrous hand, I got it. And I admired what he’d done to cover it up. It was never clear to me if that hurt or not, but I imagine it did. Think about the beauty of that. Putting sequins on your open wounds. Think about the entire world staring at the one thing that makes you feel most ugly. — Tom Chiarella

Narrowband UVB is increasingly used in hospitals for the treatment of vitiligo. It uses light of specific wavelengths of UVB radiation, which tends to be more efficient than using standard UVB light, which contains many different wavelengths.

PUVA is a different kind of phototherapy, which is often used to treat vitiligo. It is a combination of psoralen (a chemical that sensitizes the skin to light which is either taken orally or directly applied to the skin), and Ultra Violet (UVA) light. All forms of UV therapy require a commitment to attend the hospital 2 or 3 times a week, often for several months. It is usually carried out in day care dermatology clinic or physiotherapy departments. Initially the exposure time is kept short and is increased gradually. The amount of UV exposure received is carefully monitored and the total cumulative dose (expressed as Joules/cm2 skin surface) is recorded because large doses of UV time increases the risk of skin aging and skin cancer, the maximum safe limits for exposure to UV radiation at the hospital are not exceeded.

Not everyone’s vitiligo is suitable for narrow-band UVB or other phototherapies, and for this purpose you have to consult a dermatologist. If the area affected by vitiligo is small then it may be appropriate to try topical treatments such as steroid creams in the first place. In case of very extensive vitiligo, treating whole body with narrowband UVB is appropriate because it becomes difficult to treat all affected areas with creams. Light therapy may not be possible for other reasons, such as whether to treat a small child or someone with claustrophobia, which may not tolerate standing in the UV cabinet. Similarly, people who have a skin disease aggravated by light, or a history of excessive sun exposure or skin cancer cases would not be suitable candidates for this form of treatment.

It is not possible to predict the course of UV treatment, whether it will work, and if so, how well. Some areas, particularly the hands and feet, do not respond well to any vitiligo treatment. Generally, treatment will continue for 2-3 months in the first place and if no repigmentation is found after this time you should stop the treatment.

Setembro

Sentado em sua cadeira de cobrador, já sentindo os primeiros raios da manhã batendo em suas costas, Everton Dias se concentrava no jornal do dia com o intuito de finalizar a seção de palavras cruzadas. Após um súbito lapso de pensamento, grifava com as cores fortes de sua BIC azul a última charada da coluna vertical que lhe restava:

O sacolejar do ônibus dificultava a escrita, mas não lhe roubava a atenção. Enquanto conferia se havia mesmo completado toda a cadeia de palavras, observou uma pequena mancha branca que brotara em seu corpo. Localizada na pele sobressalente que separa o polegar do indicador, invadindo as costas da mão, a marca era pequena como um grão de arroz, mas suficiente para intrigar o cobrador. Achou por bem pensar mais tarde sobre o assunto e prosseguiu folheando seu jornal. Fixou-se, não se sabe bem o motivo, em uma das tirinhas do dia:

Fonte: Depósito do Calvin

Outubro

Everton decorou todos os detalhes do apito que a máquina amarela de Bilhete Único produz no momento em que um passageiro passa seu cartão. O som insistia em invadir seu cérebro durante todo o dia. Mesmo os barulhos das buzinas dos carros, os palavrões dos motoristas irritados e o burburinho dos passageiros exaltados lhe passavam despercebidos. Ouvia o apito e automaticamente olhava para a cara do cidadão que ultrapassava a catraca. Vez ou outra, o som irritante lhe servia como despertador durante um cochilo rápido.

Além das palavras cruzadas e dos quadrinhos, Everton gostava de olhar fixamente para os passageiros na tentativa de estabelecer contato com qualquer um deles. Aguardava ansioso alguém que, ao invés de tirar um cartão magnético do bolso, retirasse moedas para pagar a passagem. Esses eram os únicos que vez ou outra olhavam para sua cara. A maioria estabelecia contato apenas com a máquina amarela. Passavam o Bilhete Único, giravam a catraca e desapareciam na multidão que se espremia pelos corredores.

No momento em que estava contando as moedas do caixa, Everton percebeu que a pequena mancha branca se prolongara quase até o meio das costas de sua mão. Assustado, molhou os dedos com saliva e esfregou a pele com desespero para tentar remover aquela chaga leitosa que se alastrava ameaçadora. Inútil. Começou a procurar pelo resto do corpo e percebeu, surpreso, que todo o seu cotovelo se despigmentara. Sua cor parda e saudável começava a desaparecer.

Novembro

Na manhã da consulta com o dermatologista, Everton acordou transpirante e ofegante. Sonhara que sua cadeira de cobrador estava vazia e no lugar de seu corpo havia uma máquina amarela gigante. O apito era ensurdecedor. O ônibus estava lotado, mas as pessoas se assemelhavam a zumbis. Inertes, olhavam para baixo e tinham expressões indefinidas. Todos eram cinza.

Após a consulta com o Dr. Ivan Medeiros, o cobrador ficou sabendo que tinha vitiligo. Olhava para a boca do médico, que abria e fechava velozmente, e ele não entendia a explicação fornecida:

- O vitiligo caracteriza-se pela redução no número ou função dos melanócitos, células localizadas na epiderme responsáveis pela produção do pigmento cutâneo que se chama melanina. Essa despigmentação ocorre geralmente em forma de manchas brancas de diversos tamanhos e com destruição focal ou difusa. Pode ocorrer em qualquer segmento da pele. (fonte: Wikipédia)

O cunhado, um ex-farmacêutico vagabundo que vivia nos botecos jogando sinuca, tenta explicar:

- O doutô quis dizer que isso aí é uma doença que não passa e tu vai ficando branco que nem o Michael Jackson. E é o nervoso que faz tu ficar assim. Num tem jeito.

- Como cura?

- Tu tem plano de saúde?

- Tenho não.

- Ih, então num vai tê jeito. Precisa de muito dinheiro e tu não tem. Pra você não tem cura não.

- Vou ficar albino desse jeito aqui? – fala apontando para o cotovelo

- É só umas mancha. Esquece isso aí.

Dezembro

Everton abriu os dois primeiros botões de seu uniforme azul tentando se livrar do calor sufocante que atingia a cidade naquele dia. O ônibus estava inerte no meio da Rua Teodoro Sampaio, resultado de um trânsito formado por batidas policiais na esquina adiante. No peito do cobrador, as chagas esbranquiçadas já se alastravam em direção ao pescoço. As orelhas, já totalmente albinas, penduravam-se e se destacavam em meio aos cabelos negros e embaraçados.

O cobrador limpava o suor com uma toalha encardida e procurava não encarar mais os passageiros. Agora, todos eles olhavam com cara de espanto para as manchas cândidas que lhe escorriam das bochechas. Olhares de pena e de comiseração se alternavam com feições de nojo e horror. Everton, agora, chamava mais atenção do que a máquina amarela. Uma velha – destemperada e desprendida de respeito e bom senso – foi a primeira pessoa a lhe dirigir a palavra naquele dia.

- Essas manchas são muito feias e nojentas, meu filho. Não tem cura não?

- Pra mim não. – respondeu o cobrador sem olhar para frente.

Janeiro

Everton percebeu que estava completamente branco quando levantou, calçou as chinelas surradas ao lado da cama e viu que seus dois pés pareciam mais uma massa amorfa de cal e gesso. Olhou para os braços, levantou a camisa e abaixou as calças do pijama para constatar que estava totalmente cor de leite. Ao se olhar no espelho, quase não conseguiu identificar sua boca, seu nariz e seus olhos: pareciam desenhados em uma folha de papel em branco.

Entrou no banho e notou que a água que escorria pelo ralo tinha uma coloração esbranquiçada. Estava literalmente desbotando. Pensou em pedir ajuda, mas lembrou que para ele a doença não tinha cura. “Deve ser o estágio em que meus melanócitos estão saindo”, constatou, lembrando-se das explicações do Dr. Ivan Medeiros. Não sabia bem o motivo, mas a palavra melanócitos ficou ecoando em sua cabeça como o apito da máquina amarela.

De volta à cadeira de trabalho, percebeu que as pessoas olhavam para ele cada vez mais fixamente. Tornara-se uma assombração visível e indesejada. Não demorou e o motorista resolveu lhe chamar a atenção:

- Everton, acho melhor você procurar um médico. Nunca vi alguém ficar branco desse jeito!

- Num adianta. Pra pobre como nós, essa doença num tem cura não.

Fevereiro

O calor de São Paulo ultrapassava os 36°C naquele início de tarde. Everton percebeu que sua pele estava com uma consistência mais grossa e áspera do que o comum. Estendeu o braço para fora da janela e trocou uma moeda de 1 real por uma garrafinha de água dos camelôs e a derramou pelo rosto. Poucos minutos depois do líquido escorrer pela sua cara, começou a encontrar dificuldades para movimentar os músculos de seu rosto. Sua pele ficou rígida e, lentamente, Everton passou a sentir dificuldade para movimentar suas feições.

No meio da tarde, seu corpo estava completamente endurecido. Não conseguia mais se movimentar. Somente seus olhos piscavam. Observava as pessoas passarem seus bilhetes na máquina amarela, mas não conseguia mais acompanhá-las com o pescoço. Transformara-se em um boneco de gesso.

O sol se derramava no corpo engessado do cobrador e refletia um intenso brilho branco. O ônibus ficou iluminado, banhado por uma luz leitosa. Conforme o tempo passava, Everton notou que sua pele se derretia. Olhava para baixo e via seu corpo pingando, desbotando como se dele caíssem gotas de tinta branca. Uma poça começava a se formar embaixo da cadeira. Os passageiros continuavam passando pela catraca normalmente. Tentavam não olhar para aquela cena. Sentavam-se em seus bancos e desviavam o olhar.

Já no fim da tarde, o corpo de Everton desaparecera em um rio de leite que invadia os corredores do ônibus e oscilava conforme as brecadas e aceleradas do motorista. Os passageiros continuavam passando seus bilhetes na máquina amarela. Agora, olhavam ainda mais atentamente para baixo. Pisavam com cuidado para não mancharem seus sapatos com aquele líquido branco e viscoso.

André Toso escreve para o Sete Doses aos domingos e acha que a Internet abre novas possibilidades para a literatura. Como ainda não sabe como isso ocorrerá, faz experimentos sem muita certeza para provocar ideias

]]> http://vitiligowhite.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/vitiligovitiligo-in-usa-anti-leucoderma-herbal-treatment-in-usa/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:55:00 +0000 vitiligowhite http://vitiligowhite.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/vitiligovitiligo-in-usa-anti-leucoderma-herbal-treatment-in-usa/

Vitiligo is a skin abnormality which result in white patches at any part of body.The  patches can appear due to dysfunctional melanin cells.This vitiligo skin disorder disease equally affects both sexes and peoples of all races without any discrimination.But it is more noticeable in the people having dark skin.it usually start with a spot appearing on any part of body with the pigment loss and then with time it spread on the other parts like face , lips , hands , arms, legs, genital areas are the common areas of skin which lose pigment.When we talk about vitiligo treatment we should know about the history of the patient whether he or she receives this disease by means of heridatry, development of  autoimmune system due to infections or autoantibodies.Moreover, eographical changes effecting the color of the skin such as the darker the more possibility of this disease and the distress or severe illness can also disturb the functioning of melanocytes produces special cells like melanin cells having yellow, brown or black pigments determines to  maintain the human skin color. Its’ also protect the sunlight’s ultraviolet rays can turn into tan color. When the skin color maintains in normal condition means normal pigmentation.There is no doubt the vitiligo cure need additional efective. Our Anti-Leucoderma Oil has been over marked and proven track record since 1996. Our herbal oil is pure and  have formulated on specific herbs duly tested and approved by our recognized Scientific Research Institute.Vitiligo patients could view vitiligo pictures on website http://www.antivitiligooil.com/vitiligo-pictures.htm to get awareness
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Skin pigmentation disorders are a result of abnormal production of melanin. It is either produced too much or too little which results in uneven and patchy skin. Causes of skin pigmentation disorder mainly depend on the type of skin pigmentation disorder you have developed but harmful uv rays from the sun are considered to be its leading cause.

Several different skin disorders are related with pigmentation problems which include hypo-pigmentation, albinism, vitiligo, Hyper-pigmentation, Lichen Simplex Chronicus, Melasma, Port-wine Stains. I will discuss each of this skin disorder briefly in this post.

Hypo-pigmentation is a skin condition in which our body does not produce sufficient melanin and as a result white patches or blotches appear on skin. It is believed that it results because of ulcer, blister, burn or infection heals.

Albinism is a skin pigmentation disorder in which pigmentation is not present at all. This skin pigmentation disorder is present at birth and is not necessarily hereditary. No cure for this skin disorder is present and individuals with this skin disorder must protect their skin against sun.

Vitiligo is another skin pigmentation disorder in which chalky white patches appear on the skin. These white patches may stay stable for several years or it may even spread on different parts of the body. This skin pigmentation disorder is believed to be an autoimmune skin disorder. Scientists believe that our body initiates the production of antibodies which attacks are melanocytes and stops the production of melanin.

Hyper-pigmentation is a skin pigmentation disorder in which excessive melanin is produced. It causes the skin to become darker. Lichen simplex chronicus is a skin disorder in which dark patches appear on skin along with severe itching.

Melasma is skin pigmentation disorder in which a dark patches appear over the cheeks, nose and neck, melasma often appears after pregnancy.  Port-wine Stains is another skin pigmentation in which a flat mark appears on the skin whose color can vary from pink to purple.

A dermatologist will properly guide you in diagnosing your skin pigmentation disorder.

Vitiligo seems to be a big disaster for people who develop it on visible areas. I also got it first on my ear and then it started spreading towards my other parts of the body. I have segmental vitiligo and it has developed only on right side of my body.

My dermatologist has prescribed me a topical steroid cream which did not proved effective for me. I applied it for almost two months and did not find any improvement. Then I asked a person who was in my university and he also had vitiligo about what he used for treating his vitiligo. He told me that his mother suggest him some herbal remedies for treating vitiligo.

What he suggested me that you should eat Indian wormseed and apply its juice on your lesions. The other thing which he suggested me was applying the mixture of black pepper powder and Vaseline on my lesions and then exposing my vitiligo affected area to sun for not more than fifteen minutes.

I have started using these both remedies and I am feeling a kind of re-pigmentation but this treatment looks to be slow. I think that this combination would prove effective for me but it would take a longer time to re-pigment my skin. If anyone of you has used any of the above remedies or any other treatment please give me ideas and suggestion about treating my vitiligo.

Several vitiligo treatments are available but no cure for vitiligo has been discovered yet. Vitiligo has been a big mystery since from its very beginning and many people have many misconceptions about it. Its causes are not known and people say different things about its cause. Some say that it is caused by eating fish and drinking milk at the same while others have a different story about it. But physicians mainly give three reasons about the cause of vitiligo, one of which is inheritance, the second is that it is caused by other autoimmune diseases such as thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, and pernicious anemia. The third cause is that it is caused by a single event such as severe sunburn or mental stress.

Now coming towards the treatment of vitiligo, several treatment are available for re-pigmenting the lost skin color but no permanent cure is available. These treatments helps in re-pigmentation by using different methods like phototherapy, herbal remedies, topical steroid therapy, surgical treatments, laser treatments, tattooing and combination of phototherapy with psoralen. All these treatments differ in the time taken to re-pigment the skin and also cost of treatment.

Tattooing is also used for treating vitiligo. This tattooing is no different than the traditional tattooing. The main difference between the two is that instead of creating different patterns on skin, pigment is transferred into the skin either by using the traditional methods or by using the latest surgical tools. The effectiveness of this treatment depends on the quality and color of the pigment used. If the pigment used exactly matches your skin color then nobody would be able to recognize the difference between the affected skin and normal pigmented skin. The match of the color depends on the experience of the person doing tattooing. The quality factor decides the age of the re-pigmentation results. The re-pigmentation done by this method may start getting fade after a few years. You must select a certified licensed professional for tattooing your skin.

Vitiligo treatment has become a big issue these days because many people have started selling fake vitiligo products. So you have to be very careful in selecting a product for treating your vitiligo.

Almost one percent population of the world is affected by vitiligo. This skin disorder is not frequently noticeable in fair complexioned people but this skin disorder is obvious in dark complexioned people.

Vitiligo is a hereditary skin disorder and thirty percent of the people with vitiligo inherit this skin disorder. Some people have also reported that vitiligo is caused an event such severe physical or mental trauma but the exact causes are not completely known up till now.

“No cure vitiligo” by hearing this people should not get disheartened as several re-pigmentation treatments are currently available. PUVA is the most widely used treatment which helps effectively in giving color to the white patches present on the skin. PUVA (Psoralen Ultra Violet A) works by sensitizing the skin to the tanning effect and by exposure to ultra violet light type A it help in re-pigmentation. Psoralen is used for sensitizing the skin. This treatment is proved successful in bringing back the lost pigment on the face, trunk, upper arms, and legs but it is not found helpful in re-pigmenting hands and feet.

Some dermatologists also prescribe corticosteroid creams for restoring lost melanin but if the white patches are small. Long use of this treatment is prohibited as should be avoided because of the side effects like thinning and withering of skin.

So be very careful in deciding a particular treatment as many fake products are also available in the market.

Hi! Everybody I am Ryan and I am new to vitiligo. I just wanted to share ideas about vitiligo and its treatments. I got this skin disorder when I was 29 and it was on my chin. What I think is that I developed this disorder because of sunburn but I’m not sure about it. I read several websites about the causes of vitiligo what they say is that vitiligo is caused by inheritance, a single event like sever sunburn or mental trauma, or it is caused by other autoimmune disease such as thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, and pernicious anemia. The exact cause of this skin disorder has not been discovered yet.

I have also searched a lot about its cure and I would also like to share this information with you people. No cure for vitiligo is available; you can either re-pigment your skin or completely bleach your skin like Michael Jackson. But skin bleaching has several side effects as it sensitizes your skin. Other treatments are topical steroid therapy, psoralen photo-chemotherapy, oral and topical therapies using psoralen, ayurvedic and homeopathic therapies, herbal remedies, surgical therapies and tattooing. As these treatments are quite a lot so I’ll just discuss one in each post.

In this post I’ll just discuss topical steroid therapy for vitiligo. As vitiligo is believed to be an autoimmune disorder so steroids are a good solution for treating vitiligo as it is fairly a potent suppressor of immunity. Skin specialists may prescribe you topical creams and ointments during the early stages of vitiligo. Steroids are usually recommended for a shorter period because they have many side effects.

If you have any experience with vitiligo treatments please post your experience in the comment section. I have not used any re-pigmentation treatment and I am still in search of a useful treatment so please share your experiences with me.

By writing this blog I just want to share my story of vitiligo and also want to gather information about vitiligo treatments so if you have vitiligo then please share your experiences by using the comments section present at the end of this blog.

I got vitiligo when I was nine and at that time my parents did not knew that what it was. They took me to a dermatologist and he told us that it is vitiligo. Then he told us that there is no proven cure for vitiligo but there are treatments that can help my skin look uniform in color. My parents decided to leave it as it is because they thought if no cure is available then what’s the advantage of getting treatment.

I got this disease on my waist and now it has extended to my face because of which I feel very obvious. Most of people stare at me some of which ask me about what happened to you. I am fed up of this so please help me out in treating vitiligo.

I have found a number of treatments on the web but I do not know which one to choose so please guide if you know anything about it. I have found UV lamps on the internet but do not know whether phototherapy is helpful for treating vitiligo or not.

The other thing which I’ve found is an antivitiligo oil which is a herbal oil and contains all natural ingredients. If you have used any of these treatments or some other treatment and have found it successful then please let me know.

The first and the most important thing which I want to share with you people is that vitiligo has no cure and some beguilers have benefited from it by selling fake vitiligo cure products. No cure for vitiligo is currently available; do not get depressed by hearing this fact. Almost everyone with vitiligo wants a permanent cure but those who buy products that promise complete cure get shocked when they find this product useless.

The treatments which are currently being offered only help in re-pigmentation or helps in reducing the rate of further progression of this skin disorder. So do not get worried because this skin disorder is not physically harmful and contagious. So you can even neglect its. If the white patches are present on your face then you should decide to get a re-pigmentation treatment so that you can avoid further psychological problems. You can use either cosmetic products or one of several re-pigmentation treatments for hiding or re-pigmenting your vitiligo.

Cosmetic products that are currently available help in disguising vitiligo without treating the underlying cause of the disease. The camouflaging done by using cosmetics products like self tanning lotions, concealers, foundations, or any other water proof product lasts for three to four days.

A wide array of re-pigmentation treatments is available which involve oral therapies, topical therapies and alternative treatments like herbal remedies, phototherapies, PUVA, Laser treatments and surgical treatments. These treatments vary in results of re-pigmentation and also in cost. Do not totally depend on the information given above for selecting a treatment. You may consult a skin specialist for further information in regard to vitiligo treatments.

Prince Michael I, de 12 anos, filho mais velho de Michael Jackson, também tem vitiligo como seu pai, segundo publicou a imprensa de celebridades internacional. A revelação foi feita pela irmã do Rei do Pop, LaToya Jackson.

“O vitiligo é uma doença do lado da família de meu pai, e Prince Michael também tem nos braços e no peito”, revelou.

O vitiligo é uma doença que, entre outras coisas, causa despigmentação da pele em algumas partes do corpo.

I just created this blog to share my story, experiences, and about how I manage my vitiligo. I got this skin disorder when I was nineteen. In the beginning I did not noticed my white patches as those were very light. But when these patches started becoming more and more prominent I noticed it on my forehead and my forearm. I was stunned as I am very conscious about my appearance so this patch became a psychic trauma for me coz I had heard before, that vitiligo has no cure. I started getting absent from my college and just stayed at my home for the whole day.

One of my friends referred me a concealer from Dermablend. I just used this concealer to mask vitiligo and also started looking for a re-pigmentation treatment that is effective. During my search for vitiligo re-pigmentation I came across a treatment which was a combination of psoralen and phototherapy. Its common name was PUVA (Psoralen Ultra Violet A). Then I just asked more and more people about this treatment and I got to know that its cost was approx 900 to 1400 dollars which may exceed on the number of phototherapy sessions. So I eliminated this treatment from my list because of the hassle of going to doctors.

But after few days I got to know that I can also get phototherapy at my home using portable UV lamp. I just bought a UV lamp and antivitiligo herbal oil that contained psoralen as its ingredient. The combination of this oil and phototherapy proved the best therapy as it gave me complete re-pigmentation within three months.

In the beginning I did not find it useful because I did not notice any difference in my skin color but my uncle told me that this is slow process and you have to use it for a longer period to see results. I just want to advise you should not discourage because of vitiligo as many solutions are present out there and you just have to select the right one that suits your skin and your budget.

Vitiligo treatments are helpful in re-pigmenting the lost skin color but these treatments do not permanently cure the basic abnormality. Because of the presence of so many it has become difficult to select a treatment that is effective and shows faster results than others. In this blog I will discuss different types of treatments so that people with vitiligo can read about these different treatments and try to select one which seems better to them but you should not undergo any treatment without consulting a dermatologist. In this blog post I will only discuss Vitiligo Laser Therapy.

Laser treatment is the latest, effective and the quickest treatment currently available. Many treatments are available for vitiligo but people have found the efficacy of this treatment more than the others. This treatment offers a promise of excellent results.

This treatment involves the use of excimer laser and a special fiver optic device which helps in focusing the beam of light on the area affected by vitiligo. It concentrates the light on the affected area keeping under consideration the intensity of light that it is enough to effectively treat the area without risking over exposure to ultraviolet rays.

It works by stimulating the melanocytes (melanocytes are the pigment producing cells which are found) in your skin. When the melanocytes have been stimulated they start production of melanin (pigment that gives color to the skin), this will then help in re-pigmentation.

Recently researchers have discovered that laser therapy when used in combination with tacrolimus ointment gives enhanced and better results. This combination gives better and faster results. As laser therapy is the latest treatment so it is quite expensive.

I will recommend you again that before going any vitiligo treatment you must consult skin specialists as they can help you select a treatment that is better, fits your budget and suits your skin.

Hypopigmentation is the unusual lack of skin color which is caused by diminution in melanin. Hypopigmentation often associated with albinism, vitiligo or serious injury. Melanocytes are the main cells that are present in basal layer of skin; these melanocytes are responsible for the production of melanin (pigment that gives color to the skin). Where hypopigmentation occurs it is indication that melanocytes are not properly producing melanin or they might have got damaged.

Injuries to the skin, burns, blisters and skin infections may cause of loss of skin pigmentation. This type of pigment loss is mostly recovered while recovery may take time. For disguising this loss of skin color cosmetics can be used.

Albinism is another skin condition which is related to lack of pigmentation. Albinism is the complete lack of pigmentation. No cure for this skin disorder is present and because of the lack of pigmentation albinos are more prone to melanoma caused by sun damage and are always advised to use sun screen at all times. This skin disorder is often diagnosed from birth.

Vitiligo is also associated with lack of pigmentation. This skin disorder often starts with a small patch. It may start spreading on different parts of the body but the course of this disease is unpredictable. Several different therapies and treatments are available for this skin disorder but they only provide re-pigmentation.

Treatment of this white scarring depends on the type of disorder. If this hypopigmentation is due to albinism then no treatment is available for this. If you have got this white scarring through an injury then no treatment is necessary as lost pigment is recovered itself but in case of sever injuries these white scarring may not get recovered. Finally if you have got these white patches or blotches because of vitiligo then permanent cure is not possible. You can take re-pigmentation treatments to remove white patches but these white patches may appear again.

Herança:

A herança deixada pelo popstar Michael Jackson não será somente financeira e artística. Segundo o PopCrunch, o cantor também acabou transmitindo um problema genético.

O filho mais velho do astro, Prince Michael I, está apresentando sintomas de vitiligo – a famosa doença que causa a despigmentação da pele, e que Michael sempre usou como justificativa para seu enbranquecimento.

De acordo com LaToya Jackson, irmã de Michael, o menino de doze anos é portador da rara síndrome. “O vitiligo está vindo do lado familiar de meu pai. Michael herdou dele, e Prince também tem. Nos braços e no peito”, declarou LaToya.

A declaração da irmã do cantor, caso seja verdadeira, comprovaria enfim a paternidade de Prince, acabando com os boatos de que ele não seria filho de Michael. Restaria descobrir se o próprio Michael foi vítima do vitiligo efetivamente, como costumava alegar em vida.

When it comes to causes of vitiligo, it becomes a big mystery. Not much information about vitiligo has been discovered yet. Some theories exist about its cause. Vitiligo is a skin pigmentation disorder which produces milky white patches on skin. This skin disorder is a pigment abnormality. Melanocytes (pigment producing cells) get damaged or start malfunctioning as a result white patches or blotches appear on the skin. Generally three main theories have been put forward for the cause of vitiligo.

One theory says that this skin disorder is caused by inheritance. About thirty percent of the vitiligo affected people have a family history with vitiligo. So it is believed that it is a hereditary disorder. Second theory says that vitiligo is caused by other autoimmune disease like thyroid conditions, such as hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), pernicious anemia (an autoimmune disease which affects your stomach), and diabetes mellitus (a chronic condition that is caused by too much sugar in the blood). Our body starts producing antibodies and these antibodies starts destructing melanocytes as a result de-pigmentation appears but it is not known that antibodies are the effect or cause of vitiligo.

The third theory says that this skin disorder is triggered by a single event such severe physical or metal trauma.  According to another explanation the cause of vitiligo is a nerve disorder, because nerve damage is related with the loss of pigment in the area of skin which served by that nerve.

The intensity of vitiligo differs with each individual. People with light complexion may experience this skin disorder at a later stage whereas people with darker complexion may notice this disease at an earlier stage. It is more noticeable in people with a darker complexion because of the major difference in color.

Vitiligo is more noticeable in summers because the tanning makes obvious the contrast of the affected skin and sun tanned skin. In some severe cases pigment may get completely and that condition is known universal vitiligo.

You may be familiar with white patches appear on skin which are sometimes pale or pinkish. Theses white patches show the symptoms of vitiligo but several other disease can be behind those white patches of skin. So you must be very careful in diagnosing vitiligo. For correctly diagnosing you’re the main methods are used one is the use of Wood’s Lamp examination and the other is a skin biopsy.

The skin examination under the fluorescence of Wood’s Lamp is done in a dark room this reveals skin color changes which are not visible to the mere eye examination. A skin biopsy will indicate the presence of vitiligo through the absence of melanocytes (pigment producing cell found in the basal layer of skin) in the skin sample.

After getting diagnosed with vitiligo people may start acquiring psychological problems. This happens with those people who are more conscious about their appearance. They can experience lack of self confidence, embarrassment, and emotional stress. For dealing such problem you must consult a psychiatrist as help quite a lot in overcoming such problem.

If you are so much confirmed about your appearance then you have several different options in front of you to make your skin color look uniform. First and the foremost and the most rapid way making your skin look uniform is the use of cosmetic camouflaging methods. These cosmetic techniques involve use of self tanning lotions, concealers, skin dyes and foundation. You can experiment different products to get more optimized solution for your need.

If you are looking for more long lasting solution then re-pigmentation treatments are for you. These treatments help a lot in getting your skin re-pigmented. Several re-pigmentation treatments are available for choosing the right one you must consult a skin specialist so that he/she may recommend you the one that suits your particular needs.

Å nej, det verkar som om Michael Jacksons son fått samma sjukdom som han – Virtiligo, hudförändringar.

Länk: http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/klick/article6138404.ab

As we have all no doubt heard, Sammy Sosa, the retired baseball star has recently admitted to using bleaching creams in order to, as he said “soften his skin.” A tragedy is defined as an event resulting in great loss and misfortune, a drama in which the principal character is overcome by some superior force or circumstances.  In 1954, Dr. Kenneth Clark conducted an experiment using young black children and dolls; given a choice, the children preferred the doll that had light complexion in the majority of the cases.  Sadly Mr. Sosa, who hails from the Dominican Republic and has had tremendous success as a star athlete and all the trappings of fame, appears to be saying that he too, chooses the light-colored doll to play with. (Below is a video that explores the issue in more recent times.)

The tragedy here is that not only does he lose his natural color, given to him at birth by a marvelous creator; he also seems to have been overcome by the forces of a world that continues to make some believe that white skin is not only better, but now softer.  The Bible tells the story of the wife of the prophet Lot, whom having been directed out of the pathway of God’s judgment, looks back and is turned into a pillar of salt.

Does Sammy Sosa look back and wish he were born another color, is he salty at having been born a darker member of the human family?  What experiences has he had that make him like that?  As a professional athlete, one who was hailed for his on field performances, what did he feel, see, and hear that makes him desire to destroy God’s gift? 

We recall the furor over Michael Jackson’s transformation as it played out, from young black man to one who at the close of his time on earth looked white.  Yes, Michael is said to have suffered with the skin disease Vitiligo, the larger issue being that there was an issue.  Was Michael trying to get away, not just from being black, but from black people, did he have surgery in order to make his facial features more acceptable to his audience? 

Sadly, the use of bleaching creams is now in wide use in places like Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad, and yes the continent of Africa. In Europe, many have begun to bleach out the natural color in order to look lighter. Apparently, we have been eating the wrong food.  We have consumed a diet rich in self-hatred, self-denial, self-loathing, and self-defeating attitudes.

On a recent trip, I observed a beautiful Asian woman, and the unique contours of her eyes, listened to Latinos in their interaction and celebrated the ability to communicate in more than one language. I took a wider look around, saw the beauty of the human family, and remembered the words to a song by the great Louis Armstrong, which celebrates the beauty and diversity of life, its richness and wonder.  Here’s hoping that Sammy Sosa, and all who think like him, would reflect that indeed they help to make it a wonderful world, just the way they are.

Bro Richard

I’m sitting in the Kmart Sandwich Shoppe, my chin resting on my slender six-year-old arms. Siblings and cousins surround the white formica table of the concession area where my mother and Aunt Nancy left us, cautioning, “Don’t go anywhere.” I can hear the hum of shoppers in the distance, the din of distant conversation and the repetitive ringing of registers. We are bored and impatient and wondering where our mothers are and if they will ever return.

A young woman, an employee donning an oversized red smock and matching visor, approaches us gingerly. She has a kind voice and asks if we need anything, but I don’t hear what she’s saying. I am captivated by the puzzle that is her face. Her skin is mottled pale and tan, so splotchy that I cannot discern her features. I can’t actually see her face.

I am repulsed and enthralled until she smiles and says, “Don’t worry – I don’t bite.” Instantly, the spell is broken and I look away, ashamed. I know it’s impolite to stare and somewhere inside my six-year-old self I know that I’ve made her feel bad.

I think about her often, the Kmart girl. I wonder if, in that moment, the fate of my own skin was decided. Did my insensitivity warrant that I be beset with my own skin disease? As my own skin has become mottled, I can’t help but wonder if I am being punished for the way I made that girl feel that day.

When I was 12, I was diagnosed with vitiligo, a rare skin disorder. That summer, the relentless sun lightened my dishwater hair to a shimmering yellow and tanned my skin to a warm copper. The tan somehow caused a small white spot, no bigger than a dime, to surface at my elbow. It’s as though this spot had been there all along, somewhere beneath my skin, waiting to reveal itself.

The visit to the dermatologist’s office was frightening. Traumatic. The doctor is faceless in my memory. Mom’s presence is somehow undefined, like an apparition floating in the background. I only remember paging through a catalogue of photographs, each protected by a plastic cover. Each photograph was a testament to the havoc vitiligo could wreak on my body, my hands, my knees, my face. A deep fear sprouted within me then. I was certain it was only a matter of time before this disorder disfigured my face, rendering me unrecognizable and ugly.

I was assured that vitiligo was purely cosmetic, that it could not actually hurt me and I would not die from this, nevermind that I wanted to die if I was going to become some repulsive circus sideshow.

Vitiligo quickly took center stage in my world. I knew of no one else with anything like this. I thought that its stain on my skin was proof that I was unlovable, laughable, a freak. It was this fear, perched on my shoulder, crouched in the back of my brain throughout my life, that has had the most power in shaping my self-image.

I have always wanted to write a book based on my experience with vitiligo. I start and stop. I have no real clue how to do it but am driven to write about it anyway. I don’t know if this is cheating, since I’m not actually blogging about the here and now, but I am compelled to share at least a little of what I’ve written. And not with people I know and love, because all they want to do after having read it is reassure me that I’m beautiful, that I don’t need to worry, that I am Okay.

I’ve always meant to join a writer’s group. It’s still on my list of things to do, but I don’t know where to look, who (whom?) to seek. Until then, and maybe even then, here I am. Dying to confess everything, to tell every story, to share almost every thought.

So it is with this compulsion that I introduce Vitiligirl. I’m hopeful that somebody will read it and find it even remotely interesting, maybe even identifiable.

Who am I kidding?

I have illusions of grandeur. I daydream that someone, anyone will read it and want to read more. I don’t want to resort to begging, but I might. So please, pretty please with sugar on top, read more.