How Does Vitiligo Look Like

[james008]

hi one of my friend said he has vitiligo,but he just wanted to know how does it look like .Can anyone describe me how does it look like.

[Ashma]

Vitiligo appears as uneven white patches on the skin, that may vary from lighter tan to complete absence of pigment. Many people develop vitiligo bilaterally, in other words, if it appears on one elbow, it often appears on the other elbow. Researchers do not completely understand why this is. Others develop what is known as segmental vitiligo, where the patches develop in only one area or on only one side of the body.

[alice]

My friend, vitiligo is a general term that is used for hypo-pigmented areas of skin. If you have some hypo-pigmented patches of skin on some parts of your body, they can be vitiligo. There is one more condition that is often confused with vitiligo and that is tinea infection. So, I'll suggest you to go to your local physician or skin specialist to see what exactly you have. For your information, below is an image that shows how vitiligo exactly looks like:
http://www.eregimens.com/images/regimens/Vitiligo.JPG

[Hummad]

The most important symptom of vitiligo is usually the appearance of a light colored patch in the skin, referred to as de-pigmentation.The skin in vitiligo patches is usually sensitive to sun (photo sensitivity) and sun burns are common.
Vitiligo has many types like facial and vulgaris vitiligo etc .Also try the famous wood lamp experiment for diagnose vitiligo.

[aliva]

The picture that alice has posted is self explanatory. So, nothing has left to explain further.

I only can say that it is not a disease at all. It is a condition when, due to certain unknown reasons, less melanin pigment is produced. As a result, white patches appear on the skin. Usually, it starts from the head and spreads under the eyes, to the lips, fingers etc. There is no pain and no other side-effects. There is no one reason why this condition arises. Some believe it to be genetic and some believe it is due to stress and pollution.

[Hummad]

All right Vitiligo is not a disease but a skin condition but if we consider the emotional and psychological stress causes by vitiligo. It is too much not less than any serious disease.

[james008]

Oh thankx guys and girls for suggestions.well anyone here suffering with vitiligo?

[BrendaMarie]

Interesting. I never knew this condition even existed. Does anyone happen to know if this is what Michael Jackson suffers from?

[aliva]

Oh thankx guys and girls for suggestions.well anyone here suffering with vitiligo?

Yes, my uncle had this condition and suffered it throughout his life. Once, a barber refused to give him a haircut on seeing the white patches on his scalp. He used to spend hours inspecting the white patches. Sometimes, they would disappear, only to appear at another place. He tried every type of medicine, which included homoeopathy, allopathy, naturopathy, and ayurveda. He would follow a strict regimen of diet and exercise, but nothing clicked. At last, he felt a change of place and water may show some positive results. His request for a transfer was granted since the MD of the company he worked for, also suffered from the same problem. Lol..

[BrendaMarie]

Where did your uncle get transferred to and did the transfer end up helping him in the end? I'm curious as to the outcome of this "story."

[aliva]

He moved to another state and lived in a small town amidst nature. There he continued medication, which sometimes used to have after effects. He used to respond to every advice & advertisement which promised to cure the white spots, but nothing worked. Whenever he looked at the mirror, the white patches would mock at him.

He suffered silently. He got used to cruel and sometimes innocent comments from relatives, friends and colleagues that hurt him. He felt like an outcast in society.
Finally, a qualified dermatologist helped him with first diagnosing the problem and then prescribed him oral and tropical cream application. But his patches were so stubborn oral pills & creams could not help him. The next treatment was ultraviolet lamp light and it helped him much.

It’s my sincere request to all that when you see a person with Vitiligo, do not wince or show revulsion. Do not pity him or her. Show compassion and accept the person as a normal human being. This will help the person to adjust well in society and shine by their intelligence rather than by their looks.