Skin care for Vitiligo patients

Vitiligo skin modifications can affect smaller spots but also extensive, interrelated skin areas which tend to expand in the course of time. The skin areas concerned become pale, hairs may turn white or grey. Vitiligo will not cause any sensations of pain, nor does the pigmentation disorder involve any kind of itching. Melanocytes as well as the melanin forming tyrosinase are completely absent. Vitiligo is quite a burden for the patient and rather a challenge for the corneo therapeutic treatment.

– Skin protection comes first. If you are suffering from vitiligo, particularly if you are fair-skinned, use of a sunscreen containing Zinc oxide and Titanium oxide with an SPF of at least 30, on a daily basis may prove to be quite helpful. Such a sunscreen shields your skin against both UVA and UVB light, protecting it from the sun’s harmful rays. It will also protect your skin from sunburn, especially in depigmented areas as they are more prone to burning and developing skin cancer.  The use of these products prevents long-term damage, like photo-aging and also minimizes tanning, making the contrast between normal and depigmented skin less evident.

– Revitalizing skin. Vitamins can work wonders for skin under normal and diseased conditions. Supplementation with vitamin B complex, vitamin C and Folic acid have demonstrated repigmentation in small dermatological studies and may be effective when taken daily within their recommended daily allowance (RDA).

– Cosmetics for concealment. Cosmetic cover-ups that blend best with your normal skin tone may remarkably conceal the vitiligo patches on exposed skin and give your self esteem a boost. Self-tanners provide phenomenal, relatively long-lasting coverage as they gradually fade.

Black pepper and its extracts can also be used as skin care treatment for vitiligo (read more about it here).