We tend to lose our peace of mind over a tiny pimple on our face. Having white spots or vitiligo on the skin is far more serious, and it needs immediate action. While the condition is not life-threatening or contagious, it is bound to cause mental stress. Your self-confidence diminishes, and you tend to feel embarrassed to go out.
White spots occur near the nose, mouth, inside the mouth, temples, and eyes, and the condition is usually accompanied by premature graying of hair. This chronic problem can affect small areas of the skin and then spread to larger areas. Research suggests that vitiligo or white spots can happen due to chemical reactions, genetic reasons, oxidative stress, and neural or viral causes. Sometimes, white spots can occur due to a medical condition, or it can be an autoimmune disorder as well.
Well, don’t lose heart! Vitiligo can be treated if diagnosed at an early stage. Firstly, it is important to analyze why vitiligo occurs and know the different types. Then, you can move on to the natural remedies and other treatment options that can curb vitiligo and cure it completely.
What Are White Spots? How Does Vitiligo Start?
- The appearance of white spots on the skin is known as vitiligo. It is a skin disease caused due to loss of skin pigments.
- Melanin gives the skin its characteristic color. When the cells that produce melanin or melanocytes stop functioning or die, white spots appear on the skin. It is really tough to get rid of the white spots once they appear. Generally, the normal skin color disappears in blotches, and it can affect any part of the body (1).
- Allopathic sciences prescribe a number of treatments for this ailment and these are invariably painful and expensive. But there are a few natural ways that people could follow instead.
Who Gets Vitiligo?
- Vitiligo can affect people of all races, but those with dark skin are especially susceptible to it.
- People within the age of 10-30 are prone to vitiligo. In about 30% of the affected people, the skin begins to repigment naturally if exposed to the sun.
Causes Of Vitiligo
The reason behind vitiligo is not known, but some probable causes are:
- A disorder of the immune system that attacks and destroys the melanocytes in the skin (autoimmune disorder)
- Family history or genetic cause
- A trigger event like sunburn, stress or exposure to industrial chemicals
- Types Of Vitiligo Disease
- Depending on the kind of vitiligo you have, the discolored patches may cover different areas on your body:
(A) Generalized Vitiligo:
- This is a very common type of vitiligo that affects many parts of the body. This is further divided into three types – Vulgaris, Acrofacial, and Universal.
- Vulgaris Vitiligo – This involves white patches that are distributed in different parts of the body.
- Acrofacial Vitiligo – This is mostly seen on the fingers and/or toes.
- Universal Vitiligo – The entire body, or almost the entire body, is covered in white spots and patches.
(B) Localized Vitiligo:
- When one or only a few areas of the body are affected, it is called Localized Vitiligo. Its types include Focal Vitiligo and Segmental Vitiligo.
- Focal Vitiligo – In this type, white spots or patches are focused on one part of the body.
- Segmental Vitiligo – This affects only one side of the body. It occurs at a younger age, progresses for a year or two and then stops (3, 4).
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of White Spots On Skin (Vitiligo)
- Coconut Oil Massage
- Aloe Vera
- Ammi Visnaga
- Essential Oils
- Extracts
- Vitamins
- Ginger
- Juicing Recipe
- Green Tea
- Papaya
- Mustard Oil And Turmeric
- Red Clay
- Radish Seeds
- Yogurt
- Honey And Sandalwood
- Neem
- Cabbage
- Copper
- Mama Cadela
- Psoralen
- Holy Basil
