Vitiligo

The challenge with vitiligo is to revive the pigment cells.

There is a purpose probably for every feature creation has evolved in a human being. So also for the tone and colour of the skin. In temperate climes, the natives have a darker complexion whereas in the colder climes they are pale. This pigmentation of skin, when it is uniform, whatever the degree of colour may be, is always welcome. But, when it turns into patches of paleness, it can be a burden on the mind and, unfortunately, a social stigma, which it shouldn’t be. Vitiligo is a condition wherein there are these patches of discoloration on various parts of the body.

The skin is richly filled with melanocytes or cells which impart the characteristic hue to our skin.

The pigment helps the body stave away the ultraviolet rays that can harm the internal organs and quite commendably so.

All is well but then if there are patches that seem to develop gradually and are lighter in colour compared to the other parts of the body all attention is diverted to the same.

As such, the melanocytes or the pigment rich cells in certain areas of the body cease to function and they appear as vitiligo patches. They might start as innocuous patches of light skin more as photosensitivity on another day of exposure to the heat of the sun. These patches that usually appear on the exposed parts of the body like the sides of the eyes, behind the ears, nose and around the lips, forearms and also the extremities. These gradually could go grow in number and turn much lighter. Later, their number could increase all over the body.

These could occur on a few areas of the body called the focal depigmentation or segmental wherein one side of the body is affected or generalised when the symmetrical areas on both sides of the body seem to get affected. They are as such asymptomatic and apart from the cosmetic concern that can turn into anxiety and depression there is nothing much one feels because of that.

In some cases wherein they become generalised one could have sunburn or if they occur in the eye can affect the sensitive portion of the eye, the retina.

Apart from this, the change in pigmentation does not warrant worrying as much. Though vitiligo can happen only in five to seven per cent of the people where their parents or blood relatives may have had it, it is often surmised that if one person in the family is suffering the likelihood of others getting the patches could be high, but that is not true. It is more of an autoimmune response wherein our immune balance loses its function and seems to affect the melanocytes and the melanin pigment in those areas disappears.

This condition is also found in people who suffer from chronic form of lack of blood cells called pernicious anaemia, B12 deficiency and in those where the balance of thyroid hormone levels is on the higher side.

Nonetheless, it is more often than not triggered in individuals who have passed through a time of great mental stress. As such, the challenge is to see that the pigment cells revive and impart the characteristic hue to the area even as the growth of the spots is curtailed.

To start with, sunscreen is suggested as it helps in keeping the sunburn away though not as much as desired.

Homoeopathic medicine like Psoralia has been used as an external application which helps give the pigment a revival albeit for a certain period of time while other medicines like Calc carb, Sepia, ASF, Natrum mur, Lycopodium, Syphilinum are known to insist on the cells into periods of activity.

Nonetheless, it is a difficult task to tackle though homoeopathic medicines have been known to help when used over a period of time.