I Have Vitiligo

You are more than the eye can see

Does vitiligo go away? Part 1

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It’s perhaps the most important question we receive on this website: Does Vitiligo Go Away?

The simple one-word answer to the most important question about vitiligo is: Yes! Getting vitiligo to actually go away for you may not be so simple.

Absolutely, vitiligo goes away.

But how? That’s the rub. How does vitiligo go away for you?

There are 5 core ways to make vitiligo go away, all of which I cover in our webinar linked below, but I’ll outline some key issues here in this post. Each person is different, and developing vitiligo is caused by different, individually specific problems.

How Vitiligo Manifests

Each person that develops vitiligo has a unique path, but there are some common issues. These concerns are:

  • autoimmune – the bodies defense system mistakenly attacking healthy cells
  • thyroid issues
  • digestion issues
  • malnutrition
  • damaged or underperforming organs
  • unmanaged stress
  • unhealed injuries

Many people report that vitiligo develops after breaking of the skin. Perhaps a cut or scrape of the skin occurs for someone and when the skin heals, a spot of vitiligo forms. For others, vitiligo develops in a time of significant emotional stress.

One mother told me that after her son was drafted into military service in the midst of a war, she developed vitiligo because she was worried about her son and safety. Another woman wrote to me about developing vitiligo in the midst of a painful divorce. Sometimes job-related stress is a precursor. Losing a job is incredibly stressful. Other’s both men and women have told me about break-ups being the stressful precursor to developing vitiligo. The list of potential emotional stressors is endless and unique.

Humans are unique and their stories are precious and rich with personality and human frailty and strength.

Vitiligo is sometimes a side-effect of many things. Sometimes people can’t point to anything specific or obvious that preceded the development of vitiligo.

My Vitiligo Story

For myself, it was a skin abrasion. The skin healed, and a spot of vitiligo was left behind that didn’t really change until years later. After college, I went to work for a startup in Silicon Valley, and after being a contractor for 4 months I was hired full time. It was exciting to be learning new skills and applying them in a dynamic environment. I worked hard, did well and started eating out and drinking a fair bit. I’d probably eat out for one-third of my meals and it was rich food I was eating. Burgers with onion rings and a beer. A steak with french fries and a half bottle of wine.

I explored wine and beer for a while, developing a taste for the good food and drink. It was fun. Until I realized my vitiligo had spread to a second spot on my thumb. Then it spread around my hand, and fast. Then my feet, then my face.

Then I freaked out. Sound familiar?

Going to the Dermatologist

I went to the dermatologist, the best I could find in the area. I spent 9 months in standard medical treatments for vitiligo. Simple at first, I would sit in a uvb light box for a min or less. Then, every week, the time would go up a bit. After 6 months the appointments, 3 times per week, were lasting 30 mins in the uvb lightbox. Then after 9 months, it was up to 45 mins, then almost 1 full hour. With drive time, checking in and out of the doctors, and time in the box, it was taking 1.45 hours, 3 times a week. about 6 hours per week, sitting around, getting the darkest tan I’ve ever had and re-pigmenting vitiligo. It was working.

But even though I was seeing repigmentation, it wasn’t working for my life. I didn’t see how I could do this schedule of treatment for the rest of my life. How long would I need to do this? When would it end?

A Second Medical Opinion…

I went to see a second dermatologist that was an Adjunct Professor of Dermatology at Stanford Medical School who also had a small family dermatology practice.

I’ve never been to a doctor like this before or after.

He was incredible. He took the time to listen, to ask questions and to understand me before telling me anything about my disease or the solution. He wanted to know my challenges, my questions, my anxieties. That took 20 mins of the appointment. The part of the conversation that made my jaw drop, that made me realize this doctor is different was when he looked up from his notepad he had been writing in to ask me: Is there anything else that’s on your mind before I go about answering your questions and explaining your options? I thought, well is there anything else? And there was. I was concerned about things I had read on the internet about the potential side-effects of the standard medical treatments for vitiligo. And with that, the doctor began addressing my concerns.

First, vitiligo has no cure. And as far as I can tell, this is still true today. Vitiligo does not have a cure.

Second, the doctor made sure I was clear on this: all standard medical treatments of vitiligo are carcinogenic. This is information that the manufacturers are providing. So the makers of the UVB light boxes that you can get for home use or in the doctors office increase your chances of getting cancer. Hmmm. Cancer. Ok. Noted.

The first dermatologist had not told me this when I had asked. And this first dermatologist was no slouch. He was in charge of two different dermatology departments at major California hospitals and was then running one of the largest high end dermatology departments in Silicon Valley. I asked: does this UVB treatment increase my chances of getting cancer. And the simple answer is yes, though it’s not as serious as other forms of light treatments. Elidel was perscrined by the first dermatologist. Elidel is an immunomodulator. It modulates the immure response as is applied locally to vitiligo patches on the skin.

From the FDA’s website on Elidel, here are some quotes from the manufacturor of Elidel:

“The mechanism of action of pimecrolimus (Elidel) in atopic dermatitis is not known.”

So on this point, the scientific community doesn’t really understand the pharmacology of the drug, but they understand some of the effects of applying the drug.

WARNING

Long-term Safety of Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors Has Not Been Established

Although a causal relationship has not been established, rare cases of malignancy (e.g., skin and lymphoma) have been reported in patients treated with topical calcineurin inhibitors, including ELIDEL Cream.

Therefore:

Continuous long-term use of topical calcineurin inhibitors, including ELIDEL Cream, in any age group should be avoided, and application limited to areas of involvement with atopic dermatitis.

ELIDEL Cream is not indicated for use in children less than 2 years of age.

…ELIDEL Cream should not be used in immunocompromised adults and children

…The safety of ELIDEL Cream has not been established beyond one year of non-continuous use.

What is the most important information a patient should know about ELIDEL Cream?

The safety of using ELIDEL Cream for a long period of time is not known. A very small number of people who have used ELIDEL Cream have had cancer (for example, skin or lymphoma). However, a link with ELIDEL Cream use has not been shown.

Because of this concern:

A patient should not use ELIDEL Cream continuously for a long time.

ELIDEL Cream should be used only on areas of skin that have eczema.

ELIDEL Cream is not for use on a child under 2 years old.

So, long term safety is not known. Some cases of cancers, both skin and lymphoma, have been reported.

The conclusion of the FDA is that: long term use “should be avoided…”

So the second dermatologist laid this out for me. Further he noted that the FDA mandated that Elidel specifically be labeled with a “Black Box” warning because of these concerns about increased cancer risk.

He explained that all of the medical treatments for vitiligo he knew of increased the risk of cancer.

So what did he recommend? Well, it’s pretty simple. He recommended I go to a drug store and buy self-tanning creams. This was something one of his prior patients had been doing for vitiligo and he now passes that along.

So I left that doctors office elated. I didn’t need to spend any more time in the lightbox. I didn’t need the drugs. I needed to go to the store and find the right tanner. I was informed. Everything that doctor told me I could look up online and verify from the manufacturer’s materials posted on government websites.

I stopped the standard medical treatments for 3 reasons:

  1. the vitiligo treatments took too much time and money
  2. the vitiligo treatments don’t and can’t ever cure the autoimmune condition that is manifesting as vitiligo
  3. the vitiligo treatments increased my risk of developing cancer, and skin cancer specifically.

What’s more, members of my family on my mother’s side have gotten cancer, so a genetic predisposition for cancer is potentially in my genetic inheritance.

Additionally, according to the American Cancer Society, my chance of getting cancer as an American male is about 40 percent.  Not good odds if you ask me, so I didn’t want to make them worse through temporary half-measures against vitiligo that cost too much and took too much time out of my work week.

I was faced with confronting the prospect of having vitiligo, watching it spread over my skin for the rest of my life. This was an emotional challenge that I learned to deal with over time. 

It’s was incredibly difficult to walk away from the idea that medical doctors could help me overcome autoimmune and vitiligo with a reasonable investment of time and money without potentially deadly side-effects like cancer.

I felt alone, abandoned, and almost helpless on this issue. How would I deal with vitiligo? I determined to become mentally and emotionally stronger. And I became stronger on a personal level by confronting my fears, my dreams and the reality of my skin condition. Vitiligo has a strange way of limiting our beliefs, of squeezing our dreams. I hear this from so many people. Vitiligo can make our lives smaller and darker.

A couple of years after leaving standard medical treatments for vitiligo behind, my vitiligo got worse. I stopped covering it up because I didn’t care what people thought or felt. I realized most people didn’t think or care about my vitiligo at all. Most didn’t notice. And important people that did notice were only concerned for my well-being and then forgot about it. Vitiligo wasn’t a problem for me emotionally.

But it bothered me medically. I wanted to have a measure of control over my own physical health and well-being. I didn’t want to get rid of vitiligo, but I did want to be the healthiest person I could and perhaps that would help me reverse vitiligo, and reverse autoimmune.

So I started reading, I started asking questions and I started doing things differently.

  • I learned that each person’s body is different and unique. There is no one size fits all solution to managing a disease like vitiligo, managing stress, and being focused on the things that matter most.
  • I learned how to care for myself in the most important ways for me.
  • I learned how to serve myself and my body so that I could achieve my dreams.
  • I learned that having a dream bigger than getting vitiligo to go away was critical.
  • I learned that being of service to others with emotionally challenged responses to vitiligo was very important to me.
  • I started writing about my journey, my choices, my experiences in an effort to connect with others, to support them and to be supported. That’s why I started this website.
  • I wanted to chronicle my path to dealing with vitiligo in the healthiest way possible.

What I have now is something unique to me:

  • a dream to be of service to myself and others that struggle with vitiligo by telling the truth about vitiligo
  • my vitiligo is going away
  • I am focused on living my life and spending my time building a life I love with work and play that is meaningful, I’m not focused on getting rid of vitiligo
  • I’ve learned that vitiligo is a blessing and when I embraced the challenge vitiligo posed, I became stronger, more resilient and ready for more challenges.
  • So the key question is what will it take to make vitiligo do away for you?

There are three approaches:

The Standard Medical Approach:

  • dermatologists
  • light boxes
  • lasers
  • pharmaceuticals, etc
  • no cure
  • side-effects of treatments
  • out of pocket costs

The Rise Above Approach:

  • become emotionally stronger than you are now
  • grow your self to the point where having vitiligo is not a challenge anymore but simply another aspect of you

Be The Best and Healthiest Approach:

  • a life lived to the max where health, life, and dreams are aligned in such a way that your body is healing itself,
  • no hiding
  • every day your life becomes more and more of what you desire for you and those around you.
  • you become a pillar of health and dignity for your friends and family. You are the strong one that people rely on
  • People go to you when they need someone to talk to when they need encouragement
  • You are the person that people ask, how did you do it? What did you change? How can I do that?
  • People look at you and see you, not your vitiligo.
  • People see you for your potential.
  • People won’t avoid you.
  • You build a network of people that are like-minded, that want health, life, and purpose aligned.

Vitiligo can be treated by medical intervention, by becoming emotionally stronger or by becoming the very best version of yourself.

I am committed to helping motivated people that want to be the healthiest people possible. People that want the best for themselves and their families, that will do the work, that will dedicate themselves to giving themselves what they need to live the life they want, making vitiligo a mere side-note. When people tell the story of your life, they will talk about your work, your connections in the community, your service will be your legacy. Your legacy isn’t about vitiligo and shouldn’t be.

I don’t know what the right path is for you, but I can tell you more about how you can have a body that heals itself, a life that supports your dreams and a life that inspires those around you.

That is what I talk about with my friend Ryan in “THE 5 STEPS TO STOP HIDING AND START HEALING VITILIGO” workshop.

Does vitiligo go away? Yes. You can get vitiligo out of your head and heal your body. 

How? Watch the webinar here.

Comments

  1. Iv had vitiligo for the past 27 yrs. To tel u the truth I wud rather have had hiv than it. People poked fun at me n at the age of 34 I’m is being teased at. I’m unemployed becos of it n bearly surviving. I hate myself n consider suicide al the time. No man wants to b with me. Iv tried several cures bt it wrks for a short while. Several people advise me to try certain tings n out of desperation I try them like eating banana peels to gauva leaves.I jus stay at home al the time

    • Hi Ashima,

      I’m sorry to hear that you are sad and at home. But, I am very glad to hear you are looking for solutions to vitiligo.

      I would suggest one thing: along with looking for solutions to your disease, also look for ways to grow yourself, your mind, your emotional state. You are a wonderful person that does not need a man’s affection to be happy.

      Happiness and joy and peace are yours for the taking. You have to work for them, and only you can really know where to find them.

      Do you live with you family?

    • Hi Ashima,
      I agree with Keith. Your individual worth attributes to much more than your appearance. Many people’s challenges are visible, others are hidden, but no individual is less because of it. I believe that our trials create perspective, compassion and strength. Seek out to help others, and don’t be afraid to be who you are. My faith in God has been key into understanding who I am and how our trials can make us stronger. I don’t know if I’m allowed to share a video, but here is one I truly appreciate…
      http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=wiiadnMvm20&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwiiadnMvm20

      -Michelle-

    • Hello I am 14 years old and my names Tyler. I have had this disease for almost my whole life. I have it all over my elbows, legs, eyes and around my waist. I have been called names numerous times. For example one that really got to me was “deformed child”. That got me more depressdd then I have ever been. Then I started to realize who cares what people think and its been helping for about 3years. But in about 2 to 3 weeks I am going to a new school and im so scared to see what people would think of me again. Is there any possible way this stuff can come off. Please share.

    • Hi I know several months has passed since you posted but I also suffer with this and I truly understand your depression. But I’m dealing with it by not making it an important aspect of my life. Sometimes however it’s difficult to do I know, but I pray to God for strength to be able to. I was married and I develop vitiligo during my marriage due to an extreme stress and trauma I endured, but thankfully my ex husband never cared about it he overlooked that and saw me not vitiligo. I am dating and every time I go on a date meet someone for the first time I panic and question myself will he notice ? Will he not like me because of it? I’m very self conscious about it. I use dermablend makeup it’s temporary but I figured if he likes me he will pass that. I thankfully don’t have so many just mostly on my hands. Just be yourself, pray a lot and use makeup. be strong it’s MIND OVER MATTER.. Good Luck God bless you

    • Hi Ashima, it is really sad to hear what you are going through. You have strongly associated yourself with vitiligo and it looks like it has limited your thought pattern. Coming to people teasing you, your are around wrong people or giving too much importance to them and their comments. If it was not vitiligo, it would be something else to tease. People need something to get their minds working because they do not want to look inside of themselves. I strongly believe that you have a lot more to yourself than you think you have. It can be a good friend, a good lover, a good teacher, or anything that adds value for being a human being. Try meditating and quieten the mind and rediscover yourself.

    • I hav vitiligo since I was 11 am 24 now for the past 12years i never use to go out too much if I go out I use makup but wen I turn 16 it speard all over my body. 94% of my body am now tryin to even out my tone its been very hard 4 me am bless wit wonderfull family to help me but I still hav problem goin out no one no I hav vitiligo so I need to evenin out my skin tone can sombody tell me wat to use

    • Ashima am sorry to hear I hav vitiligo too since I was I was 11 am 24 now I no how ur feelin I ues to feel that way too jus don’t gav up god love u

    • Hey well my names drew an I’ve had this condition since I was in the 6 th grade I am now in 12th. I’ve had spots on my face an some on my knee. But for some reason thanks to God it has gotten better my spots have gone away about 90% on its own. I never used any treatment but just incase to make me feel better from coming back I use a lot of skin repairing lotions. If your reading this your not alone the more u stress about it the worse it gets. I did cry many times because I’m a pretty goodlooking person an many times I would get rejected because of my condition. But what I use to do was cover it with make up. No one could really tell. But now its just a small layer around my lips that is white not really noticeable but still there. I pray for all u to get better an don’t beat urself up. I herd its mostly because of stress. So if you stress about it will get worse. I consider joining the military . I went to many boot camps to get my mind off things an it worked in 1 year they went away. But slowy I can tell it wants to come back so I better enjoy life while I can before it comes back.

    • Hi ashima Im hamad from kingdom of bahrain I have vitiligo too and instead of saying why this happened to me I say im awesome I think that normal people are werid.. I live like evreybody else I have a girlfriend an exelent social life I joke about my vitiligo alot its normal its more normal than having big ears or a big nose u are beautiful my sister we share the same condition I think your awsome please don’t think of suicide I have it to for a long time so please don’t talk like that you will find someone that is amazing so please take care lots of love from bahrain xxx

    • hi i had vitilliogo since i was 5 i had it on my legs and on and some on my hand.ever since i was 5 till i was 12 i never wear shorts then one day i saw a 16 year old boy that had vitilligo on 80% of his body and next to him was his girl friend she was very beautiful i tought to my self god made me like this for a reason ever since that day i dressed up nice and now i got better i just moved to a new school and hear the girls fined me attractive and it makes me feel good. any bodey that has vitilligo never do anything stupid just becouse are skin is a bit different doesent mean where diferent i am proud of every one for hanging in there.

    • Hey, everyone I am 19 years old and I was told I had vitlgo by a doctor, and it all started a month before my graduation, I had a white spot right on the back of my head in my hair. And it really made me self conscious. I had to always wear hats and beanies. But when I went and got my hair dyed it completly looks like it was never there!! But i do have it on my penis and and on my rectum but easy to hid so I don’t have it to bad right? I went into a depression state, and am looking for closure. from what u guys are saying i dont have to bad thanks guys you really changed my outlook.

    • Hi aishma,

      Plz Spk to this Dr.shakaran.(Homeopathy) Wishing well Heath Care. Bangalore .
      He is too good cured many cases number is. 080. 41540624.
      Wish you all the best.

    • Hi ashima iam from india my son also had vitiligo v did allopathy first patches disappeared but again came back after one year then v did homeopthy for 6 months patches got worst n new one also developed then somebody told us to go to unani govt hospital n research centre of Hyderabad very hesitantly v went there n v saw many vitiligo patients anyhow dr gave us medicine one capsule twice daily n some powder to applied on patches remember its free they r not charging any fee for Indian ,within one month his patches has reduced n repigmentation has started iam very happy. I advise everybody pls go there n take the treatment it got no side effect bcz its herbal n its an government institution. V have spent lots of money on allopathy n homeopathy but its of no use pls take my advise n visit that hospital
      Government unani hospital and research centre Hyderabad India

    • Hi ashima, nobody wants to have a different color in they skin but you are a little depressed as manny people who fights with vitiligo, i never heard of someone being fired from they job because of vitiligo and let me tell you it’s not the end of the world, my close friend has vitiligo and he’s a happy person, we go to the clubs, restaurants, bars and he doesn’t seem to be scared about vitiligo, theres people out there who are suffering everyday with pain, here where i live it’s the fifth person who i have to see dying from cancer, the last one is going to open his head for the third time to take the cancer out because without the surgery the doctor gave him 6 months to live, try to motivate yourself, go out have fun and don’t worry about if you see someone looking at you because your problem, some people doesn’t know about vitiligo its just that they are curios, as for the man that you never find i would be with a person who has vitiligo and my friend found his wife and she’s pretty and a good person, so move on girl

    • As a child I believe around the age of 7-8yrs old I noticed several stark white patches on my shins. They slowly over time grew in size and then I noticed other areas including my right elbow, spots on my forearms, a circular spot on my chest, the finger tips where my nails begin. The spot on my elbow grew to the size of a half dollar and the spots on my shins became large enough I stopped wearing shorts. The spots seemed to stop growing in size when I started high school but they were so noticeable it controlled my life. I would look at magazines at these pictures of people with more than half of their bodies white due to the loss of pigment and I feared I would look the same someday.
      So I decided to begin lifting weights. My reason was that if I was going to look like the pictures I had seen then I was at least going to be someone who was huge to combat the comments people had already made and future comments. I gained 20lbs or of muscle over the course of my freshman the following summer. I would find myself purposely sun burning my skin in order to redden the white areas to make them less noticeable. My junior year I messed around with testosterone because even with constant weight training I was still a scrawny guy. I went from 115 lbs. to 135 lbs. But stopped there. So at that time 20 years ago steroids were easy to get and not really controlled. By the end of my senior year and into my first year of college I had gained about 40 more pounds of mostly muscle and some fat. I was about 175 lbs. going into college.
      However I had noticed that the spots on my shins had started to freckle up with pigment. I was so happy, and had hopes that maybe they would continue to regiment and I would for once be a normal kid that didn’t worry about people seeing my spots.
      I continued to lift and take testosterone and by the end of my junior year of college I was not only a large guy, about 210 lbs. and lots of muscle but my white spots had 90% filled in and gone away. I continued to lift and take testosterone through the end of college and graduated at 225 lbs. and 100% free from my vitiligo.
      I married and later began work and stopped taking steroids. I stayed around 200 lbs. and still am to this day at age 40 and still remain vitiligo free. My point to this story is 2 years ago I was feeling fatigued, more than usual so I had my doctor check my hormones, thyroid etc. The results were my testosterone levels were close to zero, he said they were at the level expected out of an 80 yr. Now I don’t know if my taking testosterone had shut down my own production or if I had low levels from childhood. I have read stories about vitiligo and low RBC counts and steroids raise your blood counts so I am wondering if taking steroids raised my blood counts and/or if I had low hormone levels and didn’t know it as a child and these low levels had some type of influence on my development of Vitiligo.
      I just feel that this may be something that isn’t even considered since checking adult male hormones is just becoming something that is seen as a problem. I would however suggest that anyone who has Vitiligo at least have their blood counts and hormone levels, mainly testosterone levels checked because those are the only 2 things that I personally did to alter anything physiologically with my body other than weight training. I tried every vitamin and home remedy that I could find prior to this and nothing changed it.
      I just feel I needed to share my story and I certainly don’t condone taking steroids as now they are considered a controlled drug and highly watched etc. My physician prescribes testosterone for me and checks my levels every 4 months and only gives me enough to stay in my normal level. He thinks I shut my own production down by taking testosterone at a young age so I suppose I will never know if I simply had low levels my whole life or if I caused them. He said I will have to be on it the rest of my life with constant monitoring and testing. So I certainly wouldn’t take anything without working with a doctor.
      Maybe there can be studying on Vitiligo and the correlation to hormones and blood count levels in the future to prevent and cure this devastating disease.
      Thanks and best of luck with your situation.

    • Aww..i have vitiligo too…dont feel bad..thats how god sent us..for every ripped shoe there is a shoelace..we should chat.

    • Hey Ashima,

      I struggled with vitiligo myself from an esrly age, and god can kids be horrible, and come up with the craziest names to call someone who is different. It made me be very shy, and quiet, and i only had a few friends. I had lived in Florida at the time, and everyone knows its blazing hot there, but i would still wear long sleeves and pants year round. I was lucky enough to move away and start fresh and when I did I had the mentality of “Screw it, if someone is going to judge me on my outward appearance then they aren’t the type of friend I want in my life”. I was lucky to have a dad who loved me and cared about me and knew that kids were going to make fun of me, and his nickname for me was Spot, hahaha. He told me that when a kid would pick on me i could tell them my dad calls me worse names than that, he was trying to desensitize me. Own who you are, because it’s not going to change, and the only good and true friends you should have in your life are the ones who look past it to see the great person behind the spots! I wish the best for you and a life filled with happiness!

      Michele ☺

    • I feel the same, I started vitiligo in the early 80’s, yes people can be so mean I had my share of it, I don’t like meeting new people, I feel so self-conscious about what people are thinking about me. I don’t like getting my pictures taken. Sometimes I feel so lost

    • I have vitiligo as well and I’ve learned to live with it and make the best of it. I try tanning my spots here and there and it helps. Some people don’t even know I have it. I exercise as well to keep my mind positive and less stressful. Most of it having God in my heart helps me a lot. I pray for everyone with vitiligo because I know it’s hard and not everyone is strong minded to cope with it! Cheer up there is worst things like cancer etc. And someone in the world would trade what we have instead of what they are going through.. stay positive at the end of the day we destroy our selfs or we decide to live and be happy! I hope this helps you in any way!

    • Hello my name is Zaine I just found out a year ago that I had vitiligo we traveled from doctor to doctor trying to find out something or just anything then we found a doctor who had some kind of cream so he gave it to me and I put it on every night I see the doctor every 6 months every time I went the spots seem to get smaller and smaller I’m so glade it worked and I hope it helps you to I live in Pennsylvania.

    • Greetings. I hope my story finds you well and gives you hope. I got vitiligo as a 8/9 year old child. I fell, scraped my knee, and before I knew it my dark skin had bright white patches on my left knee and thigh. Today at 33 years old, it is rapidly returning to color after eliminating things from my diet. I don’t eat chicken, wheat, tomatoes, or anything a B POSITIVE person isn’t supposed to eat. I fast occasionally, and take oregano oil as well. My melanin returns more and more everyday.

  2. I was diagnosed 3-4 years ago. I tried tacrolimus ointment for 4 months with no benefit. My Dermatologist did not recommend steroids or UV light due to side effects and risks. My patches are mostly on my shins and areas of skin folds, so (for now) they are easily covered. I thought about doing tattoo over the shins, even though websites advise against it. My patches appear to have stabilized– not spreading (for now). I wonder what triggered it, and what will cause it to spread. I was diagnosed with my autoimmune thyroid condition a few years before the vitiligo. It is a burden to carry, but it is a cosmetic burden– I am thankful it is my skin that failed, and not my kidneys, muscles, heart, spinal cord, etc. I made a choice to change my diet and get fit and healthy. At least if my skin is blotchy, I can still be shapely and have a nice silhouette and look good in my clothes.

    • Hi michele , I’ve been diagnosed with vitiligo in 2011 , and when I ran my own “tests” to see what caused my vitiligo to spread I quickly discovered that medicine was the trigger for my vitiligo to spread more. I don’t know if this helped at all but it is a possible answer to why some people’s vitiligo spreads

      — leilani

    • Hi Leilani…

      What tests did you conduct to determine that medication may cause the spread of more spots. I have spots on my face and I take meds for another autoimmune condition (lupus). Please share.

      Thank you

    • Hi Michele, I have lived with vitiligo for many years and also have it on my shins. I have it everywhere else also. But that’s besides the point. I have about 7 tattoos that I got while being diagnosed. I got them specifically in spots that’s spots don’t occur. But one day a spot showed up in the middle of my tattoo. It has started to fade out my tattoo. So unfortunately for me tattooing didn’t help and now my one tattoo looks like crap cause it has a big white spot in the middle of it. I have no clue how one spot can push ink out of your skin. But apparently it can. I only cover the spots on my face when I go out with makeup. If ppl stare at me and look at me while I’m out I just walk away. You know I have found more ppl that have worse problems in their life than I. so I have spots. It makes me unique. And i have learned to live with it.

  3. Yes…I have had success at making it go away. I am 100% gluten free — meaning no cross contamination or even additives. I went gluten free (gf) for other reasons (not celiac) but to my utter amazement the vitiligo I have had for 10 years started to slowly regiment at about 2 months gf. Now I am 2 years gf and this stuff is definitely on its way out. WOW.

    • Hi! My name is Andrea and I am starting to see the signs of Vitiligo on my fingers and eyelids. I want to get treatment immediately before it spreads. Can anyone give me advice?

    • Hello Dee…

      I’d love to hear more about how you were able to clear up your spots. I have it on my face and would like to attempt clearing some or all of my spots. PLEASE share more…please and thank you

      Shawn

    • Hi what exactly have u cut out of your diet? My daughter has it on vagina eye and hands. She as been juicing a bit but I want to know more about what u cut out of your diet
      Thanks Linda

    • How bad was your vitiligo? I might have to try this method…being gluten free will be tough tho. One of my areaa of my upper middle back is completley white…not patchy I was wondering if that spot would stand a chance

  4. A year ago I noticed I have a small white patch on my chest.. At first I thought it was just nothing, maybe a simple alergy or temporary skin problem.. But after few months it became bigger and whiter.. So I decided to consult a doctor..
    I was not really thinking about it until I had it on my face, at the corner of my lips.. And there I became sooo worried..
    Worried about my life being different, my future, my career, and love life.. I’m also thinking, will someone still love me if my condition becomes worse or if they know I have vitiligo?
    As of now, mine is not so obvious. (I’m talking about the patch at the corner of my lips, coz it’s just as small as an orange seed.) The one’s in my chest is quite big but since it’s covered and not visible, I don’t think it would be a problem. I also noticed some in my palms and back
    But after reading some articles and browsing pictures from the internet, I was so frightened and also asked “why me?”
    By the way, before I had it, or had it really obvious, Im a model, i joined different beauty pageants and won several titles.. Im full of confidence and i believe God made me beautiful and unique.. Im tall, with good body, and people found me attractive..
    But what if my condition becomes worse? What will happen to all those plans and dreams i have?

    I would love to talked to people who have the same skin problem as mine, i want to know their stories and struggles, since im just new to this.. I really dont know what to do now but somehow, after reading all the posts and comments full of positivity and confidence, i feel stronger now to face what would be the possible things can happen to me..
    I would really appreciate if you write me here.. [email protected]
    Thank you in advance..
    Princess

    • Hi Princess! I posted a message earlier with early signs of Vitiligo. It wasn’t until I read your posts that I completely forgot that the corner of my lips were the most visible signs of Vitiligo. I am so scared and I share your concern of how people will look at me. I am not married yet..so this does not give me the best confidence. Is a dermatologist the first point of contact?

    • I have had vitiligo since the age of 9. People always stared and asked about it. I have cried many times and i have tried different creams given by doctors. Nothing works. Im stuck with this. Im stuck with long pants to cover my knees. Stuck with all the “eeww whats on ir hands” and im stuck with the fact that i will never look like all the beautiful girls around me. Life is a bitch.

  5. hi im patrick, i live here in PH, i have vitiligo for nearly 8 years when i was about 13 (now im 21) i have my work as programmer trainee, i tried many solutions for this, last was skin transplant i already under go 2 sessions and im planning to have my 3rd session this april, it works, sort of, my vitiligo is in the lips, lower right about 1 1/2 inch diameter like oblong shape (just to have an idea of it). well having this is quite embarrassing, im hoping to have natural method to get rid of this, hopefully, cheer up to everyone there who have vitiligo also, guys do you know some technique to cover up vitiligo? to turn it unnoticeable, just wondering, BTW having vitiligo doesn’t make you less human ^_^

    • Hi, I have tried Dermablend which is somewhat water-resistant and in my experience has lasted a 12 hour work day (with light washing of the hands). I also bought a skin dye, which comes out clear but with a thin coat comes out very dark for my fair skin tone. Hope this helps

    • Hi Patrick,

      Did you also try UV Light treatment? And can you give the recommended doctor? I also have vitiligo..

      Thanks,

  6. I’ve had vitiligo for 5 years. Started as a small patch by my chin then eventually started moving up my face in random splotches. I have had 99% success with the UVB treatment. I now own a home phototherapy unit , which my insurance helped to pay for. I just pray every day that it continues to work for me. I wish the best to all of you. I know how harming it is to your self esteem. I hope they find a reason and cure soon.

    • Hey Cali,
      How did you get your insurance company to help pay for the home treatment box- I’d love to get one since spending an hour three times a week at the derm plus travel time is really hampering my life. Where was your vitiligo and did it stop spreading once you used this.

  7. My brother has vitilago and I am really worried about his condition. We started seeing small spots near his chin and they are expanding in size on a weekly basis. We have been to the doctors and they simply say nothing can be done and refuse to refers us to a specialist. Any guidance would be helpful

    • DearJasmine,

      im only a 14 year old boy but when i went to Dr Sandeep Cliff, he told me to use Protopic, The NHS doesnt suggest this because it is too expensive although a worthy investment, i used it for 6 months and im not going to sit hear claiming its worked 100% but 75% of my skin is back to its usual complexion (for now) all the luck to your brother, it is a sinking feeling to be told but thank god its not a life threatening disease

  8. Hi everyone.
    Im a 25 yr old girl & i have vitiligo since the age of 4. It started as a small spot over the right eye. I have tried almost hundreds medicines since then..some even worked fine for initial months but ended up flaring up those spots even more. I even got cured 90% till last year but then again things went out of hand..Right now im almost all white. But im ok with it..At least im not suffering from any disease that is contagious or makes me bed ridden.I can live my life.

    Thanx to god my family, friends & classmates have always been very nice to me & never let me feel im any different than them. & thanx to this problem I have known people from their inside .i know who really loves me for who i am & who just goes for the looks to judge me.

    After 21 yrs of dealing with this now i have stopped all meds. I have a simple philosophy ” THIS IS HOW I AM..IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM LOOKING AT ME.. WELL, ITS YOUR PROBLEM..NOT MINE ..i wasn’t born to please you” 🙂

    I knw its difficult but just stay happy.Be what you are not what people want you to be.

    & thanx keith for this site 🙂

    • Hey Aki, I must say “Hats off to your attitude”. I have had vitiligo from the past 6-7 years and I have seen hell. I copy pasted your comment onto a word doc and saved it on my desktop. Every time I feel low, I read your post. It motivates me and helps me look at my life in a positive way. THANK YOU soo much.

    • Hi, my name is kushal iam 16 years old and iam suffering from vitilago when i was studying in 3rd standard… even my sister has the same problem even she was affected in 3rd standard i have tht white patches all over my body legs,hands,face,chest..i usally wear full t shirts and pants my frnds all enjoy wearing shorts going for swimming every where but i ignore every thing when i was in school i didnt care abt this but when i came to collage i started worring and people have starred @ me lot … thts y i dont go to any malls no girls will talk with me iam just a teenager but.. iam different frm others people have shouted me look over there a ghost is comming i dont likd to live in this planet i know no girl will like me..n i wont married so the only reason y iam living still now is because of my parents after they r gone sucide is my only option n when i was in school in which we had 5000 students… in which i was the one who was looking diffrent… i feel so worst when people treat me like this i dont know whether this patches will go or not i will live for my parents i will go through all those teasings and serve my parents when they r old… and after the die no 1 will be there to care for me i cant stay alone so SUCIDE IS MY ONLY OPTION.. so if any one who would like to share their story can give me a call my number is 8951082826 i hope god bless all….

  9. Hi everyone.
    I’m a 26 year old lady. I have 4 white patches on my upper lip. My father also has vitiligo. He has the white patches almost all over his body but he seems fine with that. Maybe because of his age – He’s 65. Plus, he started having vitiligo when he was about to retire. I have 4 siblings and I am the only child who is diagnosed with vitiligo. I feel thankful because i can still cover the white patches on my lip using a lipstick. However, it’s getting bigger and i’m afraid that it will spread all over my face. Because of vitiligo, i’m afraid to get married. I don’t want my children to also suffer from it. 2 men had left me when told them that I have vitiligo. Now, i keep on running away from men who seem to be interested in me. I know that they may not be able to accept my condition and even if they claim that they can accept me for who I am, their family members may not! Well, this is based on my past experience… I just hope and pray that by God’s will, these white patches will not grow any bigger and it will slowly disappear with the help of some medicines that i’m currently applying and consuming.

    ~ Vitiligo can be cured right????? But how long does it take to get cured? Are there any highly recommended medicines or treatments? Pls……

    • Im soory bit I cant believe your comment you have 3 patches in your lip and 2 guys left you because of that I have little in the right side of my lip my hands are full of it and in my body knees legs and I didnt ever have a problem in my social life I had and have multiple girlfriends nobody ever made me feel diffrent I tease my self sometimes please dont be scared its not ugly or scary or countiges I hope u find someone special and he will tell u the truth

  10. thanks Bhaskar,

    Im always there to help u in any way possible.. 🙂

    & just remember that God has made you what you are for a reason..& trust me whatever he does he does it for a greater good for you..

    In case you ever wanna talk or feel better..feel free to mail me [email protected]

  11. I become so sad when I read the comments. I’ve had vitiligo for about 30 years now and have them from fave to toes but most of it on my tummy and boobs. While pregnant all my spots in my fave went away which was great! I really don’t care about my spots, they make me different and special. However, I really hate the new ones in my face! Still, I like you, I choose to not cover them up… this is me! 🙂

    • Yes, Anna. I hate the spots on my face and I dont cover them.

      I dont like the spots on my legs and I dont cover them.

      I dont like my spots and I dont cover them.

      I am me and my vitiligo doesnt hide me.

      I am not my vitiligo.

      I am me.

    • I Anna, can I pls ask you that u having vitilgo , did it effect anything on ur children , as i am trying to conceive and just wanted to make sure i am not carrying it over to my child

      Prachi

  12. Hi there,

    I have had Vitiligo for the last 30 years. It hasn’t stopped me from doing anything.
    It is all over my body, and slowly starting in my face, which I really don’t like.
    My hands are badly effected and I am a professional ukulele player and guitarist.
    I often cover them with spray tan. I love performing in my band and always make sure I am nicely dressed and made up.
    Vitiligo is annoying, but it could be a lot worse.

    I teach a lot of children and they sometimes ask me about the white patches on my feet and hands. I tell them I am like a Friesian cow who has black and white spots. They like that explanation.
    Animals have patches, they’re not worried.

    Lately I have been reading up a lot about the link of going totally gluten free and vitiligo and I am definitely going to try this.

    Will keep you posted!

    • That’s wonderful Caroline.

      It’s so nice to hear from someone who has struggled with vitiligo and won.

      I love that you are aware of the gluten connection! This was a big change in my life for the positive.

      All the best,
      Keith

  13. Hi I had a White spot on my hip since I was about 16 , didn’t think much about it then about 6 years ago my hands went all blotchy then my arms and waist also my temples and just recently the side of my mouth .
    I’m now in my 60s , am I bothered about it … No to be honest it just means I keep out of the sun .
    There are an awful lot of worse things can happen
    Paul

  14. Hi I’m 18 years old I started noticing white spots on my neck around September of last year. Now I have white spots throughout my whole body, especially were my skin folds. The worst part is that I have them on my eyes I’d do anything for the white spots to go away 🙁 I don’t know what to do! I’m afraid of what people are going to think of me and what my future will be like. There are days when I want to wear clothes showing my neck or arms but it’s impossible with these white spots. I am really in need of help!!

    -Nadia

  15. Hi Everyone, I’m compelled to share my story. I’ll be 45 this month. When I was approximately 8 years old I noticed a white dot on my right knee. Being a child, I thought it a was a boo-boo so I ignored it. When it started to get larger, I brought it to my Mother’s attention. Shortly thereafter a white blotch appeared on my right elbow. The white patches started to appear overnight on my joints (nuckles) and my face. And then the relentless teasing and ostracizing began… It was devastating. I even had a parent tell me and their child she wasn’t allowed to play with me because I had a disease that they didnt want their daughter to catch. I lived with the teasing daily. I never went to the beach, I would never wear shorts or shortsleeved shirts… I failed gym class because I would participate because shorts were required. I wore as much clothing as possible, year round, to hide my spots. At age 13 my Mother took me to a dermatologist who diagnosed it as Vitiligo. By then I was spotted all over my body. I was presented with several medical options such as a prescription medication to take in conjunction with tanning bed visits, however, the medication carried in increased risk of cataracts. The other alternative was to do nothing, stay out of the sun, wear sunscreen everyday and let the Vitiligo take its course and all of my pigmentation. The biggest risk was this option was increased chance of skin cancer due to no natural pigmentation protection. I chose to let the Vitiligo take its course. Life was hell… Everyday. By the time I was 18 my body was mostly consumed my the Vitiligo. I then had pure white skin with tan blotches instead of tan skin with white blotches. By the time I turned 20, I was 99% pigment free with tan spots showing up in various places that were accidentally exposed to the sun. Doing this was still he’ll but a different type of hell. Keeping up with the lifestyle required to avoid the sun and keep my skin protected from the sun was not easy and now I was being teased because I was so white. For me it was still a better alternative. Today you can’t tell that I have Vitiligo… I just look extremely “pale” to people, especially those who worship the sun and their tans… people love to brag about their tans and compare themselves to whiter people. The upside… I have much nicer (younger) skin:) When I get too much sun exposure and pigment appears it’s usually pretty easy to hide. My life is still greatly affected by it because I still have to avoid doing many social things that will expose me but I feel very fortunate to be in the stage I’m in. I live on NH where our weather includes 6 months of winter during which I can hibernate and allow the “freckles” from the sunny months prior fade. I get spray tans during the summer and wear lots of sunscreen. I seek shade whenever possible at summer outings and reapply my sunscreen frequently. If there’s no shade, I leave, period. People can’t really tell and I don’t share my story/condition with anyone. I’ve also refocused my attention to being in the best shape I can by exercising 6 days a week and eating healthy/vegetarian… This also helps me maintain a healthy emotional state… Being teased and ridiculed for how I look for years, left its insecurity scars. I feel for those living with the Vitiligo spots… I know your hell. I pray to God my children and grandchildren don’t experience Vitiligo. Maybe my story will help you. I’m happy that there are places for those of us suffering from Vitiligo to connect… My journey was very lonely… Yours doesn’t have to be. Reach out to others that know your pain. Your ally, Lisa

    • You are so right about that. And I feel the same way. You like me for who I am not what I look like.And I’m a 56 yr old mother and grandmother with vitiligo since the age of 40. And I have been learning to live with it because I know I can’t die from it. Just live life to the fullest.

  16. Hello! Upon reading everyones comments I thought I would share my story so people know they are not alone. I have vitiligo and have had it since I was 3 – I am now 25 yrs old. It began for me with a white spot on my forehead. I actually got stung by a bee and a doctor gave me some medicine which did not react well with my body. My body started destroying the pigmentation. The spot spread and through painful years of feeling so different to other boys and girls, the spot has now consumed my entire body. I have been completely white since i was 17/18 but i do get tan spots in the summer which eventually fade during the winter. I dont have to necessarily stay out of the sun all the time, but i do wear sun-cream everyday of the year! even winter. And to be honest, reading the comments above made me sad. Every person is beautiful, we are all animals at the end of the day, and it is only society telling you you look different. Who cares? be yourself, and if people tease then they are sad insecure people. I know how it feels to be different but it definitely teaches you to look for the best in every person and not judge anyone for their looks. Basically, what i’m saying is, when you are dead and gone, you won’t remember you had vitiligo, so stop using negative words about it, like “attacking my skin” , “ugly”, “diseased” and just try to accept who you are. I never took medication for my skin. The doctors tried to make me but I remember being 8 and saying no! I feel blessed having experienced this journey and am glad i have it! I think its unique. To all those people who have skin grafts and god knows what else to their body – my advice is live your life! and stop caring what other people think! If you ever get down, just talk to a close family member. I hope my encouragement helps!
    Laura

  17. I am 48 years old and was diagnosed with vitiligo a year ago April. Started with a spot on my right knuckle- I thought it was a scar that wasn’t tanning. Then my middle finger got a pretty large spot and I recognized what it was. Went to the dermatologist and he confirmed it. Over the past year I have had many many new spots all over my body. Just in the past few months I cannot believe how fast it is spreading. New spots almost daily it feels like. I had a little meltdown today about it – what am I going to look like in a few years? The beach has always been (and still is) my happy place. I still go frequently and have a tan. I suspect that makes the spots show more prominently but don’t care at this stage of the game. While I am glad it isn’t life threatening and I have said it isn’t a vanity thing- I am alarmed at the rate of spreading. My left pointer finger had the very beginnings of a spot in mid February and now 3 large spots are dominating that finger. Crazy to watch this happen with nothing to stop it. I am happy to know I am not alone- I still love me and need to start telling people what I have as while in meetings I do see people look at my hands. The gluten free – maybe I will look into that.

  18. Hi! My name is Pamela and I have Vitiligo since I was like 10 (I’m 19 now) I’m from Costa Rica and I’m really happy that I found this website, I have white patches in my hands, elbows, armpits and eyes! I understand my condition and I don’t really feel bad anymore, Yes, people ask me things, some people is mean, some people is really supportive but at the end I am the one with the white patches in my skin!
    I’ve try creams, pills, everything but nothing really worked for me so I started to accept my patches and I’m actually gratefull they are not bigger!
    If anyone wants to write me, don’t doubt, my email is: [email protected]

  19. I have had vitiligo since the age of 7, luckily, it stopped spreading within the first year and the only place where I have some white spots is in my left leg. my fellow classmates always asked what the white spots on my leg were and would sometimes laugh and be grossed. I know its a hortible feeling, but trust me you don’t have to be sad guys. Be grateful for the good things and dont be put down by your appearance, you will find someone who will love you just the way you are if you haven’t yet. Feel free to write me an email anytime you want, I’ll try to help and be as supportive as I can! Best of luck guys and gals!

    [email protected]

  20. I had vitiligo for many years Which eventually spread from my knees and elbows and joints to my face and all over my body. The doctors told me it would never go away but might be controlled with treatments. All I know is once I started getting into fitness and working out and exercising regularly as well as exposing myself to the sun and tanning beds on a regular basis all of my vitiligo has completely disappeared. I’m 34 years old now And have been vitiligo free since I was 18. The doctors told me to stay out of the sun but one year I went away on spring break and burned my face really bad. One spot in particular at the corner of my mouth was burnt really bad and pink weeping clear fluids for about a week and then crusted over. After it scabbed over and healed there was no longer a white spot and now it tans regularly and there is no sign left.

  21. Hi,

    Interesting blog, I was going to start something myself documenting my own journey trying to stop / get rid of vitiligo, but I think I’ll just follow and contribute to this one Keith as you’ve obviously done a lot of research. I’d recommend you have an option to sign up to an automatic newsletter / email alerts when you add new posts as I’d like to keep up to date with what you write. WordPress has various plugins for that btw.

    I also agree that there must be a connection between diet and vitiligo and am reading a book that suggests autoimmune disease is closely related to the Western diet which is ridiculously high in animal-based proteins / products (which I believe you mentioned somewhere here right?). Here’s the book for anyone that’s interested:

    http://www.amazon.com/The-China-Study-Comprehensive-Implications/dp/1932100385

    The China Study doesn’t explicitly talk about vitiligo from what I’ve read so far, but the findings are interesting, based on scientific papers (which I tend to trust more as I studied Biology in my degree) and the principles of improving your health sound like they would apply to and help in treating a condition like vitiligo all the same.

    My situation is that I started getting depigmented patches in various places as of 2-3 years ago and it’s continuing to spread, including to areas of my face now which is one of the worst places I think as it’s so visible. I’ve had problems with ‘IBS’ (whatever that is as no one seems to know either!) since 1999 when I got food poisoning in the UK then went to Nepal where I got amoebic dysentry and was pretty much busted in every way imaginable. My immune system certainly took a battering then and I don’t think it helps that my father has problems with his thyroid as there’s a clear link between that and our condition as well.

    As my digestive system hasn’t been the same since, and there are reports that vitiligo can be set off by a virus / parasite from what I’m told, I’m going to try the diet route first to see if it’s down to a type of malnutrition of some sort and get my guts back in shape. In all honesty though, I think part of this condition (I don’t consider it a disease as there is a stigma that a disease is contagious) is down to our lifestyles these days and moments of intense stress. I’ve had a few moments in my life where I’ve been under a lot of pressure emotionally and economically and, although I’m yet to find solid evidence that stress and vitiligo are connected, that kind of thing can’t be good for any condition or ‘disease’.

    Anyway, I’ll try and keep up to date here, but if you could sort a subscription system out for your posts, I’d be appreciative. Try and keep positive everyone, the most important thing is to stay as healthy as possible while you try out treatments, otherwise you’ll just be making it harder for your body to recuperate.

  22. My son was diagnosed with vitiligo when he just turned 5. He is 8 years old now. As a parent it is devastating to see your child have any kind of disease or illness. You wish you could take it away from them and give it to yourself. It just started on his hands and with Protopic, it went away. It has progressively gotten worse and is on over 50% of his body. We will be starting NB UVB light therapy soon. I am praying for success. I will never stop trying to help my son and I pray that some day a cure will be found. In constantly looking for any hope, I did find this site. Has anyone seen this?

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/260089.php

    Let’s pray a cure is found in the near future!!

    • Hi,

      My husband has been having vitiligo for more than 10 yrs..

      Recently, his uncle’s friend who also has vitiligo shared that vitamin D has helped his vitiligo from spreading..

      My husband is taking the vitamin D now…

      Hope this information helps..

    • I have had vitiligo since the age of 10 and I am now 39. You must stop trying to treat it as to be honest all the UVB , protoplc etc DO NOT CURE I’ve tried it all and it all comes back so please stop wasting your time, money and energy. You must accept it, it is not a disease it’s just we are all different and so what If you have some parts white and some parts brown. Please don’t try to change yourselves but be thankful it’s not a dangerous disease and not life threatening. Tell yourself you are beautiful and it’s definitely not an ugly disease. It’s so important to accept it and give confidence to you son or to whoever is suffering for depigmentation.

      I have it on 20% of my body and including my hands, feet, elbows, knees and face but I go out to the beach, I wear dresses and shorts and to be honest I don’t see people staring at me.

      I have been in relationships and it has never bothered any man I have been with.

      I am now married and have children and don’t see them thinking any less of me.

      So please guys don’t burden yourselves with trying to cover it or beat it as it will come back, please just be happy with all the rest of your beauty and be confident and love yourselves and people will love you back!!

  23. My 9 year old son just got diagnosed with Vitiligo. I noticed he was getting white spots on his back so I took him to his pediatrician and she stated this is what is skin condition appeared to be. He was born with Eczema and when his skin is dry, cream is applied. When in the sun, he does where sunscreen, 50SPF. What natural, herbal remedies exist and or recommended diet are suggested to control and or attempt to slow down/stop early on in his young life as I want to do everything in my power to not subject him to cruelty as kids can be cruel. Like I said, this has just started but we want to start him on a regimen now to slow this down and or stop and or help improve re-pigmentation in the areas he has lost skin tone. Your advice is appreciated.

  24. Hey everybody,

    Vitiligo is NOT an autoimmune disease. I promised myself to let everyone know that. Don’t believe the doctors when they tell you this. You all have low stomach acid. You need to all supplement with the B vitamins, HCI with pepsin, folic acid, minerals. We have a problem with malabsorption that is presenting itself on our skin. There is nothing wrong with us. It affects our thyroid, gives us candida and a host of other ailments that can all be cured with taking care of your gut. The doctors of years ago knew this but since the 80’s medicine has become big business and we are their cash cows. Why would they want us to know that this is so easy to fix when they can sell us their costly crap? I just found this out for myself. Google what I have told you here to get a better explanation. I feel for some of the newbies that don’t know what is happening to them. My vit is not that bad that makeup on my face won’t cover but I still hate it and want it to go away and it will I am sure of it. This all makes so much sense now. Please write me when you read this and want to chat. [email protected]

    • I appreciate your thought and bravery.wish to god for ur early cure.my son has also white patches below his eyes from one monton doctorsh.there is no progress .they are not completely white but i have fear and sleepness night.i have no faith on doctors.can u tell me how patches looks at initial stage

    • Hi, I’ve heard this before — but don’t know what to believe anymore – I just want this vitiligo to simply go away…

  25. Hi all!

    Firstly thanks Keith for this site and to all other for sharing their stories.

    This is long. Sorry guys but I think it will be informative for people.

    I am 32 and white (caucasian).
    I was diagnosed with vitiligo about 3-4 years ago.
    As far as I know and am aware of I am the only one in my family with this.
    I think the cause of my vitiligo is a number of things. Stress+bad diet/life style + medication.

    It all started to catalyst early 2000. I started to over eat due to different things that had happened
    in my life (comfort eating). 2004 I knew that there was something wrong with my body but did not
    know what. I was perfectly aware that I had a food consumption issue. Mind you no signs of classic
    vitligo (spots on skin). What I did notice where some white hairs on the side of my head and I
    knew I was too young (early 20’s) so I figured it must have been stress. I felt a tightening pressure every
    now and then throughout the years on my chest. My theory was that it was stress (university studies).
    Then 2008 I had my first “attack” where I called emergency and they claimed that it was probably stress
    related. During a couple of doctor visits it turned out my cholesterol was too high and the doctor said
    I had something called “fatty liver”.
    I started eating cholesterol lowering medicine. It is during this period that my vitiligo started showing
    firstly with a spot on my forehead. 2009 I went on a vacation to Asia and got really burned in the sun
    and that is when my vitiligo really worsened with rings around my eyes. I consulted my doctor and I was
    prescribed another cholesterol medicine as there was a suspicion that the medicine could have
    provoked something. 2009 an ultrasound was done on my liver and stomach. It turned out I had
    gallstones. That was the reason for the so called “attack” of 2008. Over the years my vitiligo spots
    on my face started getting a little bigger and then I noticed it around my mouth and hands.
    During this time I had gone to a dermatologist and was diagnosed with vitiligo.
    2010 I had my gallbladder removed because of more stone attacks where I had 3 major attacks
    that hospitalized me. I was recommended by doctors to undergo gallstone/gallbladder removal.

    2011 I on my own stopped with all types of medication for cholestreal issues but still living a
    bad lifestyle which I have been trying to change.

    I strongly think that the vitiligo is a side effect related to the other issues I have had and hold
    myself fully responsible for it. I have over the years tried to change my life style and am
    determined to finally do so. This means exercising, going over to a vegan or vegetarian diet
    and no more alcohol.

    I am not happy about my vitiligo but am trying to see it as a sign where my body is telling me
    that I need to change.
    If anyone is interested in contacting me please feel free to do so. I do not use social media so
    e-mail works best for me.

    [email protected]

  26. My name is Orla I’m 17 and I’ve had vitiligo since the age of 3, I never really cared about it or used make up to cover it up since it was only obvious during the summer when I tanned on my arms and neck but recently I’ve been reading comments on this website and it got me really worried about it spreading, I never asked any questions about it because I never wanted to feel different and get answers I mightent have wanted but I’m worried in case white spots start to appear on my face like most of you, has mine stopped spreading for good or will it get bigger over time?

    • I’m 18 and literally only found out what I had today! I noticed it on my back when I tanned a little, but now I have the same worries as you!

    • The less you think about your vitiligo the less it will spread. Eat healthy and avoid dairy as dairy makes it spread.

  27. Hi. I just turned 16 and I’ve had vitiligo since I was around 7. I had it severely on my chest at first, and being a child I never really thought much of it because my parents did all the talking about my condition. I went to the dermatologist and they gave me creams and stuff which did help I must say. Most of the pigment on my chest has repigmented since then. I still have little spots and a white patch on the centre of my chest it otherwise it isn’t too bad. I then started developing spots on my calfs. They are small spots in the same position on each leg. I then turned to some herbal medicine and I’m not sure if it worke in anyway to be honest or if its just my body repigmentin because it feels like it. I’m now starting to notice spots on the side of my mouth and now I’m really worrying. It was fine ip until now because I can hide it but if its in my face I don’t know how I will cope. No friends really know because I can hide but if it happens on areas such as my face I honestly do not know how I will cope. Im at the age where people judge you for what you look like and being a teenager and having a visible condition do not go well together. Am very scared for my future and life with this condition I get very upset all the time. If it spreads I don’t know how I will cope apart from locking myself up in a room. In terms of treatments I’ve stopped because nothing seems to have good results. However I will try drinking out of a copper vessel everyday and wearing a pure copper bracelet or necklace which is known to help. I need to try this diet thing which will be difficult ecause I don’t really control or choose what I eat, my parents do but I need to go gluten free for a while and see if it helps. If there are any other treatments which have been successful then please comment. I’ve been told o stay out o f the sun by doctors but people have been saying it helps, I have just come back form a holiday to turkey where it was boiling and I wore sun cream all the time. I’m hoping the sun will help in some way. I’m very happy to know I’m not alone in this and I have seen other people with it which comforts me, I just wish the mentality of out society will change and learn to accept people for who they are. It is sad to know that people can be so cruel.

    • The best for the face is protoplc and narrowband UVB or at least 15 mins in hot sun. Face is one of the easiest places to repigment. Good luck

      Some people do get more vitiligo In. the sun that’s probably why doctors tell you to avoid it. However sun and protoplc or cortisone creams help to repigment but only 15-20 minutes is enough.

  28. YES, it is going away for my 8 year old son. I started noticing the spots on him when he was about 6 years old. At first there were only a couple small spots on his leg and with his pale skin it wasn’t very noticeable, but it started to progress more on his legs. I wanted to find out if there was a natural treatment for it, rather that the cortisteroid cream and did some research about it. I found that there is a strong connection between gluten intolerance and vitiligo. I had him tested for celiac and it came back normal. I never had him tested for a gluten intolerance because tests are unreliable, but I decided to start him on a gluten free diet to see if it would make any difference. Through a strict gluten free diet (no cross contamination, reading all labels on seasonings etc.) I have noticed the pigment coming back on his legs. His most recent spots are returning to the normal color the fastest. The first spot I noticed that he’s had for a couple years is taking the longest to reverse, but it is definitely working!

    • Hi Kelly,

      My son too started getting it now. He has on his face. I wanted to know if the gluten free diet had worked for your son and for how long.

  29. Hello,
    I am a 31 year old female who has lived with vitiligo since the age of three. I am also a burn survivor. I am burned on my entire left arm and back. My entire stomach has skin grafts. I have patches of white on both entire arms, my entire stomach and thighs. I have been teased, stared at, made fun of and put down for looking different. I was teased everyday at school and suffered from depression. I have tried committng suicide twice

  30. Hello,
    I am a 31 year old female who has lived with vitiligo since the age of three. I am also a burn survivor. I am burned on my entire left arm and back. My entire stomach has skin grafts. I have patches of white on both entire arms, my entire stomach and thighs. I have been teased, stared at, made fun of and put down for looking different. I was teased everyday at school and suffered from depression. I have tried commiting suicide twice. I have had several bad relationships with guys who never truely accepted me or my body. When I turned 22 I met another person who had vitiligo and they truely inspired me. I didnt care what people thought or said about me after that moment. I showed off my scars and vitiligo with pride. I started loving myself more. I met a great man who loves me which in turn made me love life.. I never gave up going to school. I went on to get my teaching credential and am now working with Special Education children. As cliche as it sounds I teach my students that no matter what a person looks like on the outside, its whats inside that matters the most. People can be very cruel because I look different. If you looked past my looks you would find that I am a very kind and amazing woman.

  31. Hi guys,

    My Mom told me she started noticing white patches on my legs when I was 4 years old. Later on they found out that I have Vitiligo. None of my family members have it. They tried different medications to me. But then decided to stop cause i was still young and afraid of the side effects that I might get. I am now 24 years old, I am not using any medications and never consulted a Specialist since then. Now I can say that some of the white patches on my legs disappeared . I don’t know how it happened. Before I have many patches on my legs, But now only 1 is left. The white patch on my eye lid is starting to disappear also. I noticed this 5 years ago. The white patches that I have slowly becoming brown as my natural color. I am still not free of Vitiligo but Im hoping one day Il be. God bless!

    • Hi.. my daughter 5 years bold has vitiligo .. that’s the doctor told me ..don’t worry about it. . It will go away when she grow up
      I pray and I hope it should be like that
      🙁

  32. hi I got vitiligo and I hd it for eight years and I still have it people tease me and make fun but someone did this to me and everyone doesn’t know that but they love her so much. I hate it

  33. hi I got vitiligo and I hd it for eight years and I still have it people tease me and make fun but someone did this to me and everyone doesn’t know that but they love her so much. I hate it

  34. I have still got vitiligo and I have it for seven years going on to eight. this girl did it to me but people don’t know that. I have had it since reception people make fun of me and tease me and I hate it. there is a boy I really like at school and he stands up to people who tease me and I think sometimes that he doesn’t like me because of my vitiligo.

  35. there is a boy I really like at school and he stands up to people who tease me and I think sometimes that he doesn’t like me because of my vitiligo.

  36. I found this doing a google search and was wondering if possibly any of you could help me. Since my daughter was just a few months old, she’s had a small, faint white line streak up her leg all the way up into inner thigh.
    When I first noticed it I took her to the doctor and she said that it was just a loss of pigment in her skin, it was no big deal. She is 4 now and I have recently started seeing a faint white line on her stomach. The line on her leg is very much the same as it was then today. Could this be vitiligo?

  37. First I want to apologize for my bad english. 🙂
    So I have vitiligo since I was 8 years old.. It was very hard for me in the beggining , because I can say I grew up with a low self esteem. There was some boy from my neighbourhood that laughed at me every time he saw me, and the most humiliating thing was that one time, when he said “Hey, there is the sick girl, stay away from her, she will infect you and you will die” .. It really hurt my feelings, my head started to “boil” and I just wanted to punch him so bad in the face, but I turned around and I told him to fuck himself and don’t mess with me or he will have really bad problems.. Yes, I was using a bad language, but he never told me anything bad anymore.. Now I am 19 years old, soon turning 20 and I must say I don’t really care anymore, guys like me, I had several serious happy relationships.. and you just have to be positive, guys so then people will like you back.. It’s just how it works.. You smile and treat people good and they do this for you 🙂 And since I’ve changed my way of thinking, I don’t take all things too serious even my vitiligo gets better.. I had patches on my nose, chin and eyelids and now they are gone! And I am sooo happy, because the patches on my legs are starting to cover up with “healthy” skin 🙂 And that’s what I had to say. Be positive, smile and do what you love to do, the life will pay you back with the same. Spend time with your friends, laugh and love every second.. Because .. we live only once, right ! 🙂 Enjoy your life.. there are millions people in the world that wish they’ve had vitiligo over cancer or other bad diseases.. Think about it, what you have.. it might be worse, you know.
    Much love and kisses for all of you, and keep fighting and smiling!

  38. Thanks for creating this great site. I have had vitiligo almost all my life (about half a century!) and there were no blogs, forums or encouraging support sites for most of that time because there was no internet!!

    Being able to support each other, pick up tips and add to our knowledge is wonderful – and, I think, vital – because the support and encouragement vitiligo patients typically receive from the medical profession is often woefully inadequate.

    I have been very fortunate over the past 3 and a half years to have almost fully repigmented thanks to supplementing my diet with certain nutrients and green superfoods and getting regular sunshine. I don’t know if this approach would work for everyone, given that there are almost certainly a variety of different causes of vitiligo, but my view is that the worst that could happen is that anyone taking this approach would at the very least feel healthier as a result.

    I haven’t tried gluten-free though, so I probably should add that in to the mix. Perhaps it would get rid of the last few white spots 🙂

  39. Hi
    I have just started to get vitiligo and have been tested numerous times for sle due to other symptoms (hair loss and raynauds mainly) and my rheumy thinks i have ANA neg SLE . But what i wanted to query is do your freckles disappear (even if they take longer) if they fall inside a patch of vitiligo? Only reason wondering is i am getting a large patch on my face but I have dark freckles there and was wondering if they will eventually go? Where my other patches are (underside of arm) i had no distinguishing marks, so i am just curious if anyone knows what will happen?

  40. Hi im 18 and have had vitiligo since i was 2 years old. There’s no point in using creams the only reason doctors prescribe them is because they are oil based and stops making your white patches of vitiligo dry. I have discovered that my vitiligo surrounds joints or folds. Its all over my knee caps, ankles, fingers, hips, elbows, neck, eyelids etc. However my vitiligo is going ON ITS OWN!!! Completely honest its just going and I have no idea why, anyone help?

    Ive also discovered that vitiligo is closely linked to other medical problems, my hair moults constantly and ive been told its because of vitiligo.

    And don’t be upset or depressed, I decided from a young age not to care what people thought about my skin, it makes me me and its not gonna go so why be worried about it? I show my legs all the time, i have a lovely boyfriend and a job, every guy ive ever been with says they love my patches as it makes me unique so don’t listen to what people say about you 🙂

    If you need someone to talk to im here
    Caroline

  41. I am 60 years old and was diagnosed with vitiligo almost two years ago. I went to a Mayo clinic dermatologist who told me that it can be reversed by tricking the skin through narrow band UV B light treatment. Since I worked a few miles from Mayo, I went through the treatments – 3 days a week and started at 3 seconds moving up 3 seconds each treatment. I started with very little color left and today (14 months later) I have 75% of my color back. I have stopped for 3 months so my skin does not get skin cancer and will restart shortly. The treatments are $100 each but my insurance covers it. It is caused by an autoimmune disease which has 4 parts – vitiligo (I have that), the thyroid stops working (I have that), anemia as the disease kills your red blood cells (I have that) and your hair will fall out (I did get this but not on my head). Since the light treatments, the anemia is gone, the hair on my arms and legs has come back, and I feel a million times better. One of the reasons that we took a break also was to make sure the treatment “sticks” and it actually is still filling in the dots where the white was instead of going away. There is help no matter what other doctors say. I am just thankful that I live and work outside the Mayo clinic because I could have gotten one of those under educated doctors too. It is often hard to get an appointment there because there are so many kids that treat before and after school. It is amazing the number of people who have this same condition and are taking care of it. I was treating with a little boy who was 2 years old.

    My biggest reason to treat was I did not want to be a prisoner locked in my house because I could not be out in the sun for more than a few minutes and I had blisters all over. Even though I still have a little left to reverse, I no longer blister or burn. I am an Administrative Assistant within full view of everyone inside and visitors from outside our business. Rather than cover up my spots on my skin, I educated those to what the disease is and my trip to reverse the process. It is nothing to be ashamed of. I thank God everyday when an employee comes in with terminal cancer and only has 2 months to live that I only have vitiligo!

    • you got it late in life, I was diagnosed at age 13. I have had a groider for all those years until I hit my 50’s then the vitiligo went crazy and consumed the rest of my skin and then my goiter went away. I do have a lot of immune issues, female and colds very easliy but I have lived with it for so long. The hardest part is being careful outside but I seem to have been able to protect myself with cover up. I hope you are able to reverse yours.

  42. For me, Vitiligo started with a small spot on my thumb in 2002 right before my 42 birthday. It continued to grow rapidly, slowed down for a few years then sped up again in 2010. My hands look terrible and are the worst as the pigment is completely gone on all my fingers and half of my hands and then areas here and there on both arms. My pigment is gone in huge areas on the undersides of both wrists, and inside of arms and on both elbows, areas around neck and around eyes and lips, on legs around shins and knees, and feet and ankles are horrible as well. When it first started I went to a dermatologist even though I knew there wasn’t any cure to see what could be done. He told me that I should be glad that I was a little white woman! I left crying and vowing to never return. All these years I’ve just tried to hide it as best as I can but with very little success. I’ve been told by family many times just how terrible it is getting. I was even laughed at and told how fat and bad I looked at my dad’s funeral while standing a few feet from his casket. I’ve been asked by acquaintances and family alike, “what in the world is wrong with your hands!” I don’t handle it well. I was always bullied in school and abused at home over my appearance and didn’t even have Vitiligo back then, was just a skinny little kid. Even had a pastor tell me to put a little makeup on for my husband’s sake. I live in America where appearance is counted as EVERYTHING! I hardly leave my home anymore because of the physical pain I’m in plus my appearance stresses me out so bad that I don’t want to be around people. I only go out to see the doctors and hope that one of them will have some answers on the next visit.

    Recently I found out that I have a mutant gene that won’t allow folic acid to do its job in my body. I also found out through more blood work that I am allergic to dairy and have a gluten allergy as well as being allergic to a number of other foods and chemicals. I have fibromyalgia, arthritis, hypothyroidism and been on medication for 15 years, and suffer from depression and anxiety my entire life – not one day without either one making me miserable. Also I am overweight by at least 70 lbs. (am 5′ 5″ – 230 lbs) and have ruptured discs in my lower back that causes me even more pain in my back, arms, and legs. I am on tons of medications for it all including pain medication that helps some days and other days I want to pull my hair out. All this and the Vitiligo is what hurts the most. They say it won’t kill you, but they totally discount what is does to a person psychologically; especially someone like me who suffers from depression and anxiety already and who suffers from terrible low self-esteem. I know, I’m a grandmother for crying out loud. I should just give the world the finger and say the heck with it. But I can’t. I still want to have a life worth living, to be out and about, to enjoy my mid-life and later years. The funny thing is I have always detested attention and have never been a vain woman with a massive wardrobe and expensive jewelry. I’ve just been someone who had rather work behind the scenes than be out in front of everyone. This thing, this Vitiligo has made me the center of attention, and I despise it!

    I decided 3 weeks ago that I would take the medication to remove the remaining pigment from my body and start a radical diet with a doctor’s help and add an FDA approved diet pill to the mix. But low and behold my insurance did not cover any of it and the expense is just too much! And now I’m discovering, through reading on my own and without ANY help from any doctor at all, that there may be a link between the folic acid, my food allergies, and this Vitiligo! MAY be that is. So I’m terrified to have the pigment removed if there is an answer to my puzzle! My doctor says, “we really don’t know if there is any connection between these things.” And, she wants to send me back to the dermatologist to discuss laser therapy! I just told her about all these other things, about the nutrition, the folic acid, and she just shakes her head!? I swear if a medical doctor can’t cut it out of us or give us an expensive pill, then they’re at a loss as how to help us. Many refuse to believe that our diseases are linked to nutrition or the lack thereof, chemicals in our food, environmental pollutants, etc. I don’t know if I can stand anymore trying to figure this out for myself and waiting and waiting to see if one or more combination of factors will reverse mine. It is absolutely overwhelming trying to figure this out cause it looks like I’m on my own and I just ain’t that smart.

  43. Hey everyone! I’ve read alot of your stories and most of the are dealing with vitiligo but I’d like to share my curing! (In the process) I’ve had vitiligo since a little kid I saw it on my groin area but didnt think much of it until I started getting older where vitiligo almost covered my entire private parts! I started worrying then noticed in my teenage years around my lips and my knee caps. I was DEVISTATED. Not to be cocky I’ve always been an attractive guy and this really took a toll on me. I started using protopic on my lips RELIGIOUSLY and pigment came back. Also my knees.

    As of right now I have vitiligo on my male part 50% of it, my fingertips and a little circle on my belly (where I had surgery remove a mole and turned into vitiligo after it was stitched up). I have been undergoing UVB light treatment for 9 months now and not only are they freckling with pigment but they are started to attach and get bigger. (Still using protopic) this is about my male part and the little circle on stomach. My fingertips however stayed the same. I live in Vegas so it’s always hott here and sunny (desert). I’ve noticed I drive with my left hand above the wheel and sun hitting my fingertips have gotten worse so I drive with my hands below the wheel now. Also meditating as well. RELAXING can go longggg ways! I’ve also been taking ginkgo Bilbao everyday and wearing a copper bracelet 🙂

    Feel free to email me with any concerns of anything 🙂 thanks guys
    [email protected]

  44. Hi everyone, I have vitiligo and have to agree that the best remedy for vitiligo is not necessarily physical/cosmetic treatment, but adjusting your perspective, accepting yourself, and being comfortable with who you are. It’s about how you learn to deal with “difference.” People might treat you differently b/c you have vitiligo…or blotchy skin…or acne…or because you’re fat…or too skinny…or because you’re short…you get the idea. There are going to be people who make you feel bad or awkward about your perceived “difference,” whatever it is in life, and you just have to learn to deal w/ those situations and people, and realize that ultimately, those people don’t matter in your life. On the other hand, there are going to be people who see past those things and see the real person you are. Look for those people and embrace them. Don’t let your vitiligo hold you back. There are many so-called “beautiful” people out there w/ “imperfections”…Ashton Kutcher has webbed toes…Megan Fox has “toe thumbs.” These are arguably some of the hottest celebrities out there, but they did not let their “imperfections” hold them back. I know this is especially hard to deal with for younger people…it’s hard being different, hard being different from your peers. I know the peer pressure can be crushing, kids can be cruel. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the world is a MUCH bigger place than I could have ever imagined then grade school or high school…the world is a huge place with all sorts of people…as humans, we are not cookie cutters. It’s a big world out there with a HUGE spectrum of people…BILLIONS of people. You’ll soon see that your perceived difference is not that rare/different at all. Your classmates have not seen enough of the world to have this perspective, so it makes it easy for them to single you out. But b/c of this experience, I’m sure you have become a person with a much deeper sense of empathy and humanity for others, allowing you to have a stronger character as a person. Just remember your inner strength and beauty. Remember that “ugly” people can become beautiful through their inner beauty…while “beautiful” people can be made ugly through theirs. Beauty really is only skin deep. Use this opportunity to let your inner beauty shine through. Good luck everyone!

  45. Hi everyone my name is Kevin im 33 years old and I live in London, for two years I have had vitiligo. I first notice it on my neck and when I went to the doctors they said it was a burn and I thought nothing of it .
    Two years have past and I know now that it was vitiligo. I have been using pro topic cream which has had no affect. Now the doctor has told me to have UVB light treatment, I have done some research on this and i am unsure what to do. At this moment in time I’m not confident that it is the right treatment as I have read about the side effect being skin cancer and that it is only a tempory fix. If anyone has any experience of the UV treatment, good or bad please let me know I have an appointment coming up to discuss it at Guys and I’m unsure what to do.
    Thanks and good luck everyone with your own journeys……..

    • Hi, how did u do it…please elaborte
      …i am alao working on it but not able to crack it
      ..i have vit all over…i get tired v.easily… Fatigue all day…kindly help…my name ia rizzzu +919988805808. I am.from.india

  46. THIS IS MY SUCESS STORY…………………….BY AVVK…..
    Hi every one i had read a lot of stories above & i am sorry for what ever happened with you guys.. even i too suffering from this vitiligo from last 10 years but it is only on my lips and recently i found it on my chest.. i was so worried and took a lot of steroids to control it with doctors advice…nothing worked out .. as u guys said i also missed a lot of party’s and swimming etc,… daily i use to ask god why did he gave such punishment to me … one day i was sitting alone in a park .. and thinking about my feature …… what happens when this spreads all over my body… i was so much worried about this … suddenly i saw a old friend ( school friend) we gave a hug and we both sat together and had some chat …. after some time he noticed that i was covering my lips all the time .. he asked what happened to your lips?? i didn’t give any answer i was silent for some time.. he told his was also having the same and now he is cured whats about you are u taking any medicine?? tears came our from my eyes and i asked how did he get our of this??
    guys he had given me a clinic name in Hyderabad ( Dr.Ahmed al ifrani )
    after 1 week i went to the doctor and explained him from first how to happened and he had given oral medicine & application powder… and Dr advised me some diet like .. not to eat chicken, eggs, fish, masala items & tomato… i stopped completely those things even he refused to take milk .since iam using the medicine & following the above diet from 3 months i found a lot of difference on my white patches … small dots are appearing on my chest and 50% of the thing is gone … thank god now i am really confident that i will be free from vitiligo….
    This is my story i will let you guys know once it will be completely go… i will defnately post my photos for you guys…. DON’T WORRY NOTHING IS POSSIBLE IN THIS WORLD ……..

    My Mail id is [email protected]

    • Hi, how did u do it…please elaborte
      …i am alao working on it but not able to crack it
      ..i have vit all over…i get tired v.easily… Fatigue all day…kindly help…my name ia rizzzu +919988805808. I am.from.india plz mail me ur recovery..

  47. I have had vitiligo for almost 30 years. At first, the lesions were limited to small areas of the finger, small areas of the lips, and hip area. I initially tried PUVA (ointment and UVA treatment), but stopped quickly when I got a sunburn. Recently, as a result of work related stress, the vitiligo spread rapidly in my lips, fingers, shin, armpits, and elbow. I decided to seek various treatment and did a lot of research. I also have been going to see a doctor who is one of the leading experts in Vitiligo. She put me on a vitamin treatment (Metagenics Phytomulti, Metagenics DHA, alpha-lipoic acid (half capsule of Metagenics), probiotics (started with Metagenics but switched to Dr. Mercola), and Vitamin D3 (5,000 IU). I also take Milk Thistle (seed extract) and Ginkgo Biloba, B-12 (has to be methycobalamin – I take 1,000 mcg), and Folate (800 mcg). I also take bioactive, nondenatured whey protein and cysteine to promote glutathione (Swanson Vitamins have the best prices). She also put me on Protopic for the body and steroid cream for the lips. In addition, I do excimer laser on my lips, armpits, elbow and fingers and full body NB UVB (after covering up with sunscreen for areas already treated with excimer laser) three times a week. Most importantly, I rely on my faith in Jesus to avoid stress relating to this condition or my life and put my trust completely in him. I also try to avoid red meat and dairy when possible (not always possible) and try to eat mostly organic vegetables and wild fish.

    It has been about three months since I started my treatment. The elbow is almost 90% repigmented, the corners of the lips and the area right below my nose are completely repigmented, the armpits, kneecaps, and shins are about 75% repigmented. The lips and fingers have made almost no progress, however. Other than those two areas, all the other lesions are progressing toward complete repigmentation. More importantly, there has been complete arrest of any new spots.

    Put your faith in Jesus, pray and place all your fears and concerns on Him, try to focus on bigger purpose and helping others (see the CNN article where self-focused gratification causes immune disorder in the same way that stress does…however, working toward a greater good and finding gratification in helping others strengthens the immune system), and do your best with what is available to treat the symptoms. There are success stories out there (including my significant progress after having suffered with this for 30 years). Furthermore, my doctor conducted a clinical trial on Scenesse that potentially promises to be an amazing treatment for Vitiligo. She mentioned that the treatment with Scenesse (assuming approved by the FDA) will not be available for years, but those who were treated in the first trial has no remission after 9 months (even the difficult areas like the fingers regained pigmentation using Scenesse). She mentioned that there will be another clinical trial for that drug in about a year. The point is that there is progress being made. Keep your faith, treat your symptoms diligently, and know that you are more than the color of your skin.

  48. Hi wow it is so good to see all the posts in regard to vitiligo and to read everyone story. I have had vitiligo from the age of 12 mostly in hidden spots. But from the age of 25 I have had a gradual progression of white patches all over my body. Mostly my hands, arms and legs.

    Now at some point I looked, and the white spots looked less. At first I thought it was wishful thinking. But over the last few years my arms and some of my hands and in other places, I can see the white spots repigmented
    ( is that a real word, it is for me)
    My biggest concern is not for myself, but for my grandchildren 3 of which are half Asian. And have darker skinned.

  49. I have had vitiligo from the age of 7 and it was only on my eyelids, when I turned 18 I noticed that my vitiligo was getting worse and through the years there have been times when my spots have spread, but overall I am thankful to God that it has mostly been in places where clothes cover it. I am now 37 years old. About 2 years ago the depigmenting started affecting my neck and face and my dermatologist put me on 1000mg of Vitamin C a day and a cream of 90% aquaous cream and 10% elecon, which is a new type of cortisone cream that does not thin the skin. I started my treatment in summer as sun exposure helps and I started to re-pigment in all the areas where I was applying the cream and it has continued with much success. I hope this helps, I have also recently realised that I am gluten intolerant and am starting to see the link in that as well. I hope this is helpfull to someone. I am a believer in Jesus and I try not to put too much empasis on my outside appearance, but if there is some way that I can even just stop the spread of the vitiligo I will give it a go, always trusting my gracious God to guide and help me along the way! And trusting in Him no matter what the outcome!!

  50. My son was cured !
    Last June I notices a vitiligo spot on my son’s eyebrow and also a couple white eyelashes.
    I immediately took him to Peru … why Peru ? because I am a vitiligo survivor too and I was cured in my country of origin.
    The dermatologist saw my son and told me he was going to be ok and I believed him.
    this is the treatment, apply Protopic twice a day and massage it for one minute.
    He also ordered a blood test to check his tiroids, B12, Folic Acid and Iron in blood.
    My son was to drink every day at 10am a extract juice of carrots, parsley, clementines.
    He has to eat lots of asparagus too.
    He has to wear sunscreen every time he goes outside.
    We have to continue with the treatment for 4 months or until the spot is gone. Right now is 70% gone. I also notices the white hair in eyebrowns are starting to come out normal color.
    Vitiligo is a sign of stress so he also told me to give him 1/2 a Xanax twice a week for a month.
    Doctor my son will be totally cured if after a year no more spots have appeared.
    Doctor also said vitiligo in hands and fingers is very difficult to stop. Vitiligo in face is easier to cure.
    I believed in God and I am sure my son will be cured in the same way I did.
    Very important my son is taking Larotabe is a vitamin for Argentina that contains Betacarotene, Zinc and other components.

  51. Hello Keith,
    great initiative. bless you.
    here is some realistic optimistic approach towards Vitiligo..
    i am 50 yo now and saw in my own eyes some victories over Vitiligo.
    i’ll share it with u. i have Vitiligo since 15 yo.
    about 26 years ago i saw a girl about 12 yo. she had severe vitiligo all over her body-her hair also became white. she was treated by an old famous naturopath therapist in Tel Aviv, specializing in nutritional and herbal medicine.
    she had to live on a strict diet – no meat, no diary, no bread, suger etc. eggs where aloud and those boiled herbs like Echinacea and others I don’t remember today. anyway when i saw her she was 4-5 years after beginning treatment. she had a beautiful pearl skin.. with only little insignificant almost not noticeable of Vitiligo small spots.. a beautiful Victory.
    also , a 55 yo woman in Israel showed me her dark beautiful complexion. she said she had Vitiligo. using UVB narrow band rays healed her Vitiligo.
    i my self treated myself 5 years ago. i stayed in the dead sea 4 a whole month and gradually exposed my skin to the sun which is screened there in a way u get mostly uvb nb rays. i had beautiful results then which stayed more than two years. i repeated that treatment in the dead sea june 2012.. had returning of pigmentation but lost that new pigmentation during 1 year. I have to mention , after I returned from the dead sea on july 2012 I had a very bad year in all aspects.. I wasn’t sleeping sufficiently, lived in stress and ate junk!! So, to me its obvious why this beautiful results of the dead sea didn’t stay longer than a year.
    I can compare to the results I got 5 years ago.. when I was balanced in all aspects and indeed the “dead sea treatment results” stayed longer .. more then 2 years.
    my conclusion is: when your body and mind are in good stable health. if you are not severely stressed out. you make sure to sleep well and to b happy. be relaxed and maintain ur body with good nutrition.. and we all know the principles of good nutrition. lots of vegetable & some fruits. lots of fresh green herbs lettuce, parsley, celery etc. . sprouts. no gluten. no white sugar. no white flower. Yes to grains with no gluten & beans. NO DAIRY. some eggs r ok. good quality meet and fish – in a reasonable quantity. EXHERSIZE .. professionally… take a trainer and build a suitable training program. Stick to that program off course. Get a psychologist 4 2-3 meetings only. The goal of those meetings will be only- to adopt a practical behaviorist approach towards vitiligo. What to think and how to react when “Vitiligo embarrassment” is about to happened.
    (how to built self confidence about Vitiligo)
    about that mental-psychological attitude towards Vitiligo maybe you should adopt the teaching of one of the great Jewish Rabbis. The Rabi from Lubavitch. He said.. relating to any severe health problem.. the way to look at it is.. if ur body is healthy it means u r 100% ok. If one suffers from Vitiligo and the rest of his health is great.. how much in percentage from that persons health is harmed?
    His liver, kidneys, etc. thank god r ok.. so one will evaluate his Vitiligo health failure as 1-2% from his whole is bad… ok… still u have 98% which r great!!! That is something to appreciate.
    Also, that smart Rabi said – if u strengthen the other healthy parts in your body-those you CAN influence, they will strengthen up your sick parts!!!!
    ************** ********************************************
    once you stick to that new behaving of yours towards yourself, get the right nutrition… learn more about it in the internet… and you feel GOOD with yourself.. and when you feel good… YOU!! KNOW it… be the doctor of yourself. aim 4 balance in your life… THEN!! UVB radiation will help u. and the repigmentation u will get from that uvb treatments will stay. or if you are lucky, you will get that repigmantation Spontaneously, using normal sun radiation wherever you live. 🙂

    with Love,

    Refaela

  52. I have had vitiligo since the age of 13 I am now 60 yrs old. Once I was in my 50’s and going through menapause my vitiligo went crazy and I now have no pegiment left I am totally white but the last few months I now have freckles on my arms which I don’t understand since I thought I had to have pegiment to have freckles. Oh well crazy!! My vitiligo was given to me through family, my grandfather had it, 3 of his 10 children have it, I was the only granchild, but there is great grandchildren with it.

  53. hey everyone, i have just been diagnosed with vitiligo. honestly am really scared to death my dermotologist said that it can be cured but i highly anticipate it. right now i feel like crap and fear that it might ruin my life forever. i am 25 years old and just 6 to 7 months back small white spots started appearing on my body and now i have almost 8-10 small spots.
    I know people here in this community have been through experiences and am glad i found this site, feels good to know am not the only one in this thing. i hope and pray all of us get cured.
    Please help me in identifying if diet matters in this disease and any other precautions that must be taken to prevent it from spreading. also is it contagious?

  54. Hi I have a vitiligo, I am 17 and I was born with it on the side of my stomach, it started off really small and got bigger slowly as I got older, it’s stopped growing now and has stayed the same for about 7 years, it not that noticeable although it is really big it has a bit of colour and I have noticed two little freckles in it so I think it has some pigment but the question that I really want to know is will it spread to somewhere els on my body, is it possible to just have one vitiligo or am I most likely to get another one somewhere els?

    • Hey Ejane,

      I also have vitiligo, I’m 23 years old. I’m gonna try to answer, but I am no specialist: I’m only trying to help. So… it is possible that you will only get what you already have of vitiligo. But it is an unpredictable skin disorder. There is a possibility that it spreads or that you get it somewhere else. But no need to be worried. If you haven’t seen it get bigger in the last years, like if it is stable, it might just stay like that. I recommend you to always put sunscreen so you prevent sunburns, moisturize your skin. You say there is color in it…if you have color in it, it might have started to color back… I’m not saying it happens all the time or to everybody, but it happens in rare cases.
      I strongly recommend to consult a doctor/dermatologist about it. You will get better help!

      Good luck 🙂

      Sophie

  55. Hi, when I was a child, I had vitiligo – I was teased at school – this constant teasing made me more of an introvert then – there was a stage in my early twenties when the vitiligo almost went away – well, it wasn’t visible to other – even then, when I didn’t have it, I lived as if people could still see it – I never married, or was in any serious relationship – Late 2009, the vitiligo came back with a vengeance — two-thirds of my body is covered – my face is covered – I’ve developed patches around my eyes, that looks like the Lone Rangers mask… people stare at me alot – ALOT! — kids don’t understand – they’re not afraid to call you out in public – going to the mall has become a big deal. I used to interact with clients at work – but over the past year or so, management has cut me off interacting with people – I guess they’re uncomfortable with me – or perhaps ignorant – I feel like a leper stuck in my pocky little office with no window – I get discriminated all the time – church is the only public place that I don’t feel discriminated… I have been mostly sad, most days, most of the time – I’ve recently tried to get out of my shell having joined this new church at the beginning of the year — for about three years, my soul had become silent – I loved the comfort of my own home – didn’t go out much – one could say, my home had become my fortress of solitude – I’d replaced the interaction of people with my love for animals – there were days that my pets pulled me out of great depression — I know that this feels like I am venting – perhaps I just needed a forum to get this load of my chest – I’m South African of South Indian descent – so the white patches are quiet prominent on my chocolate skin. I know I need to be around people, but most days, I don’t want to be – I see them stare at me when I talk with them – I see their eyes move two-and-fro the length of my body… Just yesterday, my life-group leader addressed the fact that I’m turning 40 in a two months, and I should find someone to share my life with – I told him I felt ugly – he reminded me, that not everyone looks at the exterior and that there are couples out there who are physical mismatches – he then went onto to say, its cause some relationship have evolved physical attraction – or the not so good look guy has the confidence that his partner notices… I spent 15 minutes in the sun after church trying to recover a lost boomerang and today I am red and sore… I’ve missed a lifetime of career oportunities, relationship – and becoming a father — so I realised I may not be able to check all points on my wishlist – at least adoption is a possiblity… I wish there was a cure that didn’t cost so much – my own doctor has made a profit out of me – treatment failure after failure… I am tired of ‘have you tried…’ and I’m tired of the stares… no one understand this – I pretend that it doesn’t bother me – I’m really funny with friends and family and they don’t really get to see what I’m really thinking of — I wish science could just find the gene that causes vitiligo and fix it…

  56. Sir I’m amber from India. I’m 18 year old. I have white patches on my neck and beard. And Where This patches are The hair turned black to white. I’m in depression. Because the patches are not biger but I heard that paches are make bigg at future.
    Please What can I do. Please it’s my humble request help me tell me what to any natural remedy for that please help me.

  57. Hello, im 14 years old and I have vitiligo. when I go to the skin doctor and they recommend to moisturize everywhere everyday. also they sell a thing called protopic. they say it prevent and may cure some white spots. a treatment they have at the skin doctor is the laser treatment.it makes the spots disappear.I haven’t read any of the comments but I just felt like saying this to help anyone out therewho wants to get rid of the spots or prevent it

  58. Hello,
    I am 58 years old and have had vitiligo since I was seven years old. By the time I was 11 years old I had it over 60% of my body, including around my eyes and around my mouth.( I do wear cover make up on face) and that I never wore a short sleeve shirt to school. I was petrified when I had to wear shorts and a t-shirt for gym as well as shower!! I was a wreck but I did it!…I noticed I was a true leader in my class and played football and baseball. I was a good basketball player but was to self conscious to play. Looking back who did I hurt but myself. I had a great time in high school and college.
    Maybe I have been very lucky but I find once people get one good look it doesn’t really matter. I heard a few rude comments and they hurt but they didn’t kill me.I dated many beautiful women and yes the first few dates it was uncomfortable but NEVER did it end a relationship.
    I have been married for 28 years(former beauty queen) and have four children and 10 grandkids. I taught school for 29 years and finally my last 10 years I taught high school and wore short sleeve shirts to teach in when it was warm. High school kids can be tough but I started every year showing my class my skin and talking a few minutes about it. I said,”Am I happy I have this, no way, but I could have it a lot worse. The only things I can’t do is what I stop myself from doing.” Do I have all my extremities? Yes! Can I run and jump and see and hear everything around me.Yes!! Yes!!

    I leave you with this, “I felt bad I had no shoes until I saw a man with no feet.”

    Tom
    PS.My daughter came home from college with a new boyfriend. He walked in house with shorts on and a t-shirt. He had vitiligo over 50% of his arms and legs! My daughter thought he was the hottest guy she ever dated, and Lord knows she dated a lot of guys.

  59. Hi 🙂

    I live in Québec (Canada), I’m 23 years old. When I was 12-13, I realized I had a white skin spot on the inside of my right thigh. Like probably a lot of people, I didn’t think much of it because it was kind of small (1 inch round..) and it wasn’t really visible. But it started growing and growing… It went up all the way on my right butt cheek, and (sorry it if shocks some of you) all over the genitalia, because yes it is a form of Vitiligo.
    I may not have it on 50… or 80% of my body, but it is very hard to be confident about it. I was keeping myself from having a boyfriend because it scared me to show it to someone and scared of what that person would think…

    I only went to see a dermatologist in march 2013 because I was very shy of it… He told me about the different treatments. He decided to prescribe me the Protopic ointment, mostly because the skin affected by the vitiligo on me is a really sensitive area. Unfortunately, it’s been 9 months and no changes appeared.

    I feel kind of 50-50 about my vitiligo… Sometimes I look at it and I feel helpless, confused… Even if I read about it a lot, look at treatment and read other people stories, I wonder how I am going to deal with it… But I now have an amazing boyfriend who thinks I am absolutely beautiful and sexy with it, he supports me in everything I do about it and he makes me feel pretty good and more confident. It helps a lot to have somebody to talk to, I really encourage everybody who has vitiligo to open up, with others who have vitiligo or just with a friend. Everything helps.

    On my follow-up appointment with my dermatologist, he said he couldn’t really prescribe any other creams because of the area’s sensitivity. The only other treatment he would recommend was the PUVA light. I read it was very bad for the skin though, not sure I will try.

    Anybody tried natural treatments?

    I read recently about the SCENESSE by Clinuvel treatment. It is still in the clinical trials, but up to now seems succesful and harmless! No creams, no lights or laser… actually it is an implant big as a rice grain. Weird I thought, but they explain everything very well on their website.
    Here is the website, there are many articles, videos, and interviews with the doctors developping the treatment (one with Lee Thomas):
    http://www.clinuvel.com/en/scenesse/scenesse-afamelanotide

    Love to everyone!

  60. Hi,
    I am suffering from vitiligo from past 12 years. To be frank i dont have problem with it. Facing people with this made me strong and there laughing,insulting had made me to achieve my goal. I have completed my Master degree and I am sad to say that I m jobless. No one is giving me job because of this. And I am elder daughter and my dad want me to get married because of this I m nt getting good proposal. now I feel like I should have not studied simply waste of money and I feel like i should not have born at all. I do have Two sister I am tensed about them also… I love small children I feel like dying when they start crying seeing at me…
    Pls tell me what to do

  61. Heyy there,

    I have had Vitiligo since I was 12 so about 5 years. When I was 14 then I actually noticed the big vitiligo spot on my right eye. When people asked me what it was I fell uncomportable. I started to feel depressed when I was somewgere with other people.
    Then I went wo the doctor who didn’t take it serious. The medicine which she gave didn’t work.
    There is a cure in the Ayurveda, I wanted my mum to go to India with me for the treatment but she didn’t care, she just said that it is too^^ expensive :/
    Every day I was sad but then once I started to talk with my Aunt (I person who cares more about me than my own mum) she motivated me…. And somehow the feeling of being sad went away 🙂
    And now I am starting a diet where I eat a lot of green things (like spinach and salats) and where I drink a lot of carrot juice. And I hope that this will help me.
    So thats my Vitiligo story (There might be some spelling mistakes, because I am not verygood in english)

  62. This is not spiritual or motivational talk.. This is my experience.. Yes you can beat Vitiligo, yes you are stronger than it..
    I am 31 now, I assume I am a good looking guy, attractive to some girls and I used to model for some TV ads, this is for you to imagine how painful it is dealing with such a disease for me, but I am winning and you can win.. and I will always beat this thing up
    I think it started 6 years ago, I was having very bad time in my love life and I suddenly realized change of of skin color near my mouth and I didn’t know wat it is.. I went to a doc and he said don’t worry it will go away and he did relate it to me being stressed, I used a cream and It went away… a month later it started to appear on my eye but this time It didn’t go away, I tried to treat it for months and months with no hope until I got used to it.. but weird enough It didn’t spread that time, I only get few sports near my mouth but I could always cure it…
    2 years ago I could see that I am loosing skin color near my hand nails and when I went to doctors they said It is not a big deal and don’t worry (I am Egyptian and doctors here are shit so you can imagine) … anyways it wasn’t really big, wasn’t noticeable and I decided to use a cream that I know.. and again I could get rid of it !!
    1 year ago I was touring around USA with my friends and I noticed big change of skin colors on my lips and face (left side of my eye) I was really terrified I remember I spent the whole time and money seeing doctors there and the conclusion is: doctors said it’s difficult to cure lips and fingers but other areas its possible with UVB light and stuff.. and that I have to accept the fact that it will definitely spread around my body.. and that my stable condition moved to another stage where the diseases attacks harder
    I will be lying to you all if I said it didn’t break me, or I wasn’t feeling down and horrible.. I was so damn disappointed that time..i went to London on my way back to see another indian famous doctor and he said the same thing … i cant cure lips and fingers and that I will spread
    Here comes the most important part.. I didn’t give up hope, I do love life, and I do love my dreams and I was stronger than ever, this thing is not going to reach me, is not going to break me.. I went back to gym I was working out hard, I bought a UVB home lamp to use at home, I put on my cream on a regular basis. I fought back I felt strong and I could really beat this disease in so many battles..
    For me its like attackes.. sometimes its stable and sometimes I feel I am having attacks..and everytime I do react, its all inside you, its how strong are you, believe it…don’t surrender no matter what , I could beat it most of the time, my lips are almost 100% cured.. guess what .. my fingers showed a great result and improved to the extent that when I emailed the doctor with the news he replied back saying: this is strange..
    I am not saying its 100% out of my body, it’s still there and it’s still attacking, but I don’t stop and I don’t let it in… started to attack on my fingers again.. And on my face.. but trust me its so weak.. its now 1 year since they said it will spread all around my body but believe it or not.. I am fine I am improving in way, as I am writing this message I am in control, I look normal.. and it didn’t spread more, not only but also I am showing progress in areas that never had any progress

    I am willing to keep my strategy and develop it, my life is more healthy, I take care of what I eat, I go to the gym regularly, and now I will follow gluten free diet.. I will use every single weapon I have… and trust me I am winning.. please don’t lose hope or strength … it is everything… it is all what I needed to achieve results that only few people could achieve.. the legend says there are some diseases that has no reason or a cure just because it doesn’t need any… it needs you to fight back..it needs you to make a better person out of youself
    I am here writing this and I am telling you I am fine.. and I am in control and I will keep building whatever walls it takes and make it harder and harder for vitiligo climb up or take the lead..

    Trust me.. yes it can go away.. and yes It is going away

  63. Hello People, i hope my post will help you. Treating vitiligo is not as difficult as you have been told, i suffered from it and treated it with these simple steps, i took vitamin B12 1000MG Once daily, FOLIC ACID 800ug twice daily, Vitamin C and E 500MG twice. Along with this i used a cream that i bought from a local skin doctor (pakistan) i applied that on affected areas exposed my skin to uvb light 311nm (google it). I started with small duration then gradually increased time as my skin got used to the light. After about 4 weeks i started seeing little freckles, dots that matched my skin colour that motivated me to carry on my treatment and in less than 4-5 months all spots had filled in with no further spread of vitiligo. In my case it was about 1 year old so it was fresh comparing to people who were diganosed 10 years plus ago…so again people this is it just keep your diet clean and keep eating these vits for the rest of your life to keep the spread at bay..its all about trying and fighting with it, life would be boring if it was simple so start treating your vitiligo…its all about that first little dot of your own skin that you have to see you will suddenly be shot with lots of motivation to carry on treating it…if you want it bad enough you will treat it…good luck guys. If it is possible spread my message to others it will help them great deal, if it doesnt pigment your skin it will atleast stop the spread although i am 100% certain you will see pigmentation just give it time and dont give up especially if you been suffering from it for a long time. Sorry for my english its not my native language. Again good luck people.

  64. Also i would like to mention although not from personal experience but i read somewhere ginko biloba helps stop vitiligo from spreading quickly..you can do your research on ginko biloba. Good luck friends.

  66. Last year, I was diagnosed with vitiligo when a spot appeared on my face. Honestly, it was one of the most confusing experiences I’ve ever had because it had gradually appeared. I had noticed the spot growing, but didn’t think anything of it until I had gotten a tan. The blotch on my forehead went from an unnoticeable lightness to white. When I went to the doctor, they told me it was stress induced vitiligo. I’ve seen several doctors and dermatologists since last year, and while the pigment change bothered me before, now I’m more worried about what’s happening INSIDE my body. No doctor has been able to tell me how stress has caused this. I’d really like to try to understand, does anyone have a similar situation?

  67. Its great to read about other peoples experience with this condtition, and I can see myself in many of stories shared her. I have had vitiligo for more than 10 years now. it started with a small spot on my eyelid that soon spread to both eyes. For each year I have gotton one or two more spots somewhere on my body, but the progress I have seen the last year truly scares me.

    I have always had a active social life, and what worries me the most is how this will affect my social life, if this keeps spreading as fast as I think it is.

    I have a solid education, a good job, a wonderful family and good friends, but this still cant make me feel good about life right now..
    I dont want to be this depressed guy, I want to enjoy life!

    Well, thats my story anyways.

    If someone wants to have a chat, send me an email: [email protected]

  68. hello sir,

    I want to marry a girl whose sister is suffering from vitiligo( I feel it will be vitiligo ) her whole body become whitish.how can I identify that her problem is vitiligo.

    Any another diseases whose symptoms are related to vitiligo for eg; white patches in skin or whole body become white,they are genetic problems or not. I want to know that,is it a genetic problem.what is the age when the disease will be start like childhood or adulthood or in any age.

    Is it a transferable disease it transfer from one to another or genetically transferable. Is their any chances to transfer it to my baby during pragnancy.

    Please reply asap.
    I need more & detailed information about this.

    Apart from this please feel free to contact me for further discussion.

    Thanking You

    Regards

    Tarun Kumar

  69. Hi I am 16 and I have a patch on my lower lip. Its stayed the same for 8 months now and has not spread. This is the only patch i have. Does this mean it is stable? How fast do the patches usually spread? How fast did your patches spread? Please let me know. I am worried to death.

  70. Hi friends”’
    This is Akriti’ 22
    I have been suffering from dis since 12 years ,but i have an a positive approach towards ol d worse i faced throughout ma life.
    I m writing this as a tribute 2 ol d sufferes,actually not sufferes ol d damnly blessed pupil throughout d wrld.

    Friendzz”’
    We r immensely blessed frm d almighty 2 lead a human life with ol b basic needs .we r blessed 2 b a prt of this century ,electronic ,advanced,practical and much more sincere.
    I request ol ma lovely friendz not 2 think dat u hav 2 colors.Itz ur life alwayz search ways 2 make urself happy, spend time wid ur beloved ones,try to stnd on ur own legs,concentrate on ur wrk,chose d environment u want.
    I don’t think if u r capable enough no shits like viti li go can spoil urself,
    Love God’Love urself’
    Love nature’care
    Be strong ‘think Jra hat ke( means be extra ordinary)””
    N alwayz keep smiling not for others”’
    For urself,for ur god,for ur family”

    N look vitiligo is ol gone”’
    Ol dis depends on ur way of thinking,
    Depends how u give importance ,ur priorities.

    Whenever u r depressed close ur eyes go to a calm place n just thank god for al d best memories,al d achievements,u made”
    Im sure u vil b realxed”’
    Friendz remeber no 1 in dis entire wrld is satisfied no 1 is perfect”’
    So u r d most blessed,beautiful , and a unique person n dis universe.

    With lotz n lotz of love ”
    Smile now open ur mouth ha ha ha ha”’
    C u look gogeous

  71. Hello, Ive had vitiligo for about 4 years now It started as a little white dot on my lip in the 8th grade im in the 12th grade now. I noticed that it started to spread down my jaw line to my neck, it kinda looks like a thick unevened strip with some pigment left. I realized that people started to treat me differently even friends I knew for a while, Ive been made fun of alot and I even got to the point to where I wanted to kill myself but I realized that Its not so bad and you only have 1 life so you have to enjoy it. I wish every 1 the best of luck with their condition, never give up hope!

    • Thankstheunknown for motivate us.
      which pakistani doctor and which cream you used ?
      i m suffering from 7 years , and used all available option please tell me doctor name

  72. Have Faith everyone, I began getting Vitiligo when my baby son was born and have had it now for 39 years. I am completely white now and was so happy just to be one color. I was very upset when I began to see these spots, but things could have been worse. At least I didn’t need medical treatment, or hurt, or did it damage me in any way except for my looks, but hey I could live with that. I accepted it and moved on. Yes I looked like an idiot wearing long sleeved shirts in the summer heat and makeup covered my face, so I was good. I noticed the spots when I was just 25 years old, and now that I am 64 I am noticing that now I am getting my pigmentation back. I don’t know why but all I know is that here I go again. Only these spots are coming back very quickly. I guess all I can say is ” here we go again” lol. So keep the faith and your head high. It is more common now than ever. I too was worried that my children would inherit this but so far so good. So don’t give up and don’t fight it. Just let it flow!

  73. Hello! I was diagnosed with vitiligo in 2008 when I started to lose pigmentation on and around my upper lip. I was given a topical steroid which I used along with concealer. After a while I decided to not let the color of my skin (or lack of) affect the way I feel about myself. I started using sunscreen and applied daily moisturizer and stopped taking the steroids. Its now 2014 and I’ve gained pigmentation back on my lip and even developed a cindy Crawford mole! Whether you gain color back or not, be comfortable in your skin and enjoy all that life has to offer!

  74. i have had vitiligo for 7 years. at first it wasnt that bad, then it got worse so i started light treatments and that has helped a lot and it has gotten better. i started trying to eat healthier but i see it getting worse and getting better at the same time and i hate it so much. i need help

  75. MY SISTER’S FATHER IN-LAW HAVING VITILIGO AT THE AGE OF 60,SO IS IT SPREAD TO THEIR CHILDREN OR GRAND CHILDREN.OR EVEN TO HER HUSBAND.

  76. Dear family,
    Yes,i really feel that this is my family where i belong to other than living with the heartless people.I’m effected with vitiligo when i’m 12 yrs.Now i’m 23 yrs old.I ‘ve patches on lips,scalp,chest,down the neck & Navel.A very small and new patch has started on my right eye 2 yrs back.In this 11 yrs of journey with this disease, i’ve worst experiences in my schooling, college where i’m harrassed,teased,left alone.No one was there for me then.I’m even in a relationship which ended very badly.There is nothing in my life that i can feel confident &happy about.Neither my family is strong financially nor I’m an unwanted person in the family.I cry alot for their effection,love & care.I want my mom to touch me affectionaly.But she doesnt. After a lot of pain these years, finally i met my true love.He doesnt even care about this disease.But again,now i came to know that this disease can be passed from parents to children.I dnt want him to go to hospitals with me.I dnt my child to get effected with this disease.Sometimes,I feel God is so cruel towards.He shows something beautiful like roses in my life and then he reminds me there’re thornes around them.I’m just an unlucky girl……

  77. I had vitiligo for years now. I cannot cover mine as easily as others can. I covered head to toe. People stare at me everyday, wondering if I have something they can catch. I love the winter for the simple fact I can wear things from head to toe. I love night time I can go out at night were it is not as noticeable. Sad but true that it taken me to this. I cannot tell the number of times I went out praying no one will notice or ask any questions. I get asked if someone notice and daring. Yes I have come across people that it does not seem to bother them at all. I have learned to live with it no matter what, I have no other choice. I have a wonderful wife who accepts it.

  78. I just got vitiligo about a year ago. It has spread pretty quickly on my face, while turning my beard gray. I am currently seeing a dermatologist, UV treatment, and using a topical daily. However, I have seen little results. It has also been very expensive. Not sure what caused it, although I was told I had an episode of thyroiditis which has gone away now. The whole thing has been so weird. No family history of it. Just glad it’s not something serious as I’m only 36 yrs old. Although I pray it goes away, I most importantly thank God I’m able to continue on with my life and loved ones!

  79. I have had vitiligo on my private parts tiny ones on hands and two small ones under my armpit and on my hip since I was 15 ill be 18 this year I have worn fake tan constantly ever since I was diagnosed, it isn’t as bad as other people’s vitiligo but it still has had a big effect on me I cried all the time when I first found out because I felt disgusting, I have had an amazing boyfriend who was with me well before I had it and is still with me now he doesn’t care about the patches down below he says it doesn’t bother him and it took me a while to not care if he sees it, I think no one really knows about it and that’s our problem there’s hardly any scientists desperately trying to find a cure like other diseases, I think somehow we need to raise awareness and fund this to find a cure we know it’s from a lack of melanin in our skin and we know the skin cells are dormant not dead so we know we can treat this, for now well just have to bear with it, but when I found out I had no tests they just said what they think it is gave me some cream said might stop it to spread and that their sorry but ill have it the rest of my like il just have to deal with it, as a 15 year old hearing that sat there by yourself is terrorfying, my friend has this also and his colour came back for no reason, I’m determined to raise awareness one day I want to open my own salon for beauty treatments and ill use that salon for events to raise awareness for vitiligo because sadly we are forgotten about and GP’s haven’t got a clue

  80. hy
    Im Ilen
    Im hving dis prblom from last 6 yrs..Im 18 yrs old…It is very difficult for me to live like this…Im taking medicines but no difference can be seen…I hv these spots on my face& legs..
    Im in a big depression becoz of dis…
    Im facing a lot of problms..
    I hv dark complexion dats y these spots are more visible nd look very ugly….
    plzzzz plzzzz give a solution

  81. Not sure how I missed this website till now. Thanks to everyone for sharing most valuable information. My wife has Vitiligo from last 10 years and its ON and OFF for every 2 years. She has tried all kinds of medicines but nothing gave a permanent cure. I know this is not possible to cure it completely but I think we can control it with proper diet and life style.

    Recently she started developing Vitiligo on many different spots and its spreading very fast. She is really worried. I am not recommending her to try any temporary treatments which might case severe diseases like skin cancer. So we are not up for PUVA/LASER or any treatments with possible side effects.

    We moved to USA after our marriage last year and we didn’t consult any doctor here for Vitiligo. One of our doctor friend recommended to visit Stanford of UCSF medical center to diagnose more about this.

    Any recommended doctors/Institutions in Bayarea who can diagnose this vitiligo?

  82. Hey. My name is kenny im 20 i have vitiligo. Both my hands are completely white samee with my feet . Its on my knees, my forehead my whole chin and most my neck is white . Its on my privet parts. I wasint born like this. It started in 7th grade. It use to reallly kill me inside. I use to wear gloves all the time to hide it. It use to never be on my face i use to.say that if it ever got on my face that i would never go out side again lolol well it got on my face i eventuly got past that. it never stoped me from makeing friends and being who i am tho. i have plenty of loveing friends. I use to be so scared cause i thought people wouldent like cause of it. Alot of girls dont like me for it tho. There my friends but they wont ever give me a chance. It deffiently weighs on me emotionally sometimes. I wear my hoodies even when its like 90 degrees out cause the underside of my arms are completely white. Its like a 50 50 for me. Cause when it comes to sports idc ill take it off and j wont care what any one thinks but like when i go to the lake and theres so meny people every where i wont take my hoodie off. I pray alot at night and ask god why he did this to me . Im sorry im rambleing it just feels good to talk about this with people who have it . Lol alot of my friends say its “cool” looing and unquie but i dont think so. I got one question tho. I got really sunburnt a couple of weeks ago on my forhead and my forheads comepletly white. Little spots of brown showed up all over my forhead do anyof you guys know whats that from? Does that mean the brown is returning ?? thanks for reading and please give feed back

  83. I have had vitiligo since my early 20s. It started as a small spot on my forearm and now I have random splotches on my eyelids, forearms, hands, fingers, armpits and now suddenly two huge white spots on both feet. All white areas duplicate as mirror images, so to speak. If it’s on the left, there’s a similar spot on the right.

    My skin is very fair, so in the winter these spots are unnoticeable, but in the summer I freckle heavily when I tan, so the white areas really stand out.
    I have never worried much about it. It is annoying, but since it is not harmful… well there could be worse things. I am fortunate to not have any major spots in my face (yet, as there are more every year!). My eyelids are white, but you don’t notice them much with my eyes open.

    I am a nurse and patients stare and ask about my spots all the time.
    I feel for us all that suffer with vitiligo. It must be especially difficult for persons with dark skin. I wish us all courage and hope that good people can see past our skin, and those who cannot, are not worthy of my friendship anyway. But I see people die with serious illnesses and injuries daily, and I can only be thankful that this is all I have to deal with.

  84. Hi all, I am a 41 year old guy and have had vitilgo from about the age of 7/8. Started on my knees ankles and elbows and eyelids. I have come to realise over the years that there are people in this world who would much rather choose to have vitilgo than suffer from other terrible conditions,disabilities.Much needed perspective is gained when seeing others suffer from conditions much worse than vitilgo. At the end of the day our skin is just different , much like european skin is different to african skin, but its just skin. I have a beautiful wife, 2 amazing sons , I have great job , I have friends, I can play sports and live a fantastic life. Do not let this get you down, and above all do not care what other people think or say about you. That is the ultimate key to a successful life living with vitiligo.

  85. Hello Friends !,
    I had found white spot on my left side of lips about 15 days ago ie(15 June 2015) .I don’t have any other spot on my body.I consult with doctor she is nearly 75% sure that this is vitiligo but not confirm.She told me to go with the thyroid and sugar test.
    I have a girl friend and i love her so much i don’t tell her till today.I am very depressed about this issue.I don’t have any family record about vitiligo. I am really confused is this vitiligo or not? If this is vtiligo ,than is it possible to stop because i found it in early stage??

    Please someone give me any suggestions. 🙁

  86. Hi everyone. This will sound weird and unreal, but here it goes. I started to lose my skin pigment all over my body at the age of around 10. My doctor gave me a diagnosis of vitiligo . I really went into a depression and even tried to kill myself at a young age. it was around me eyes, elbows, hands, knees, and my private parts. which as an older person now it can be extremely embarrassing to meet new people and to have relations without thinking they will run away as soon as they see my privates. Anyways. My great grandmother was what Mexican Americans call a curandera, or healer. She made a powder concoction she learned from her mother made from a few different items. But the one that surprised me was dried rattle snake powder. i never saw how she made it, only that I was to put it on all my food until the vitaligo dissappeared. I did it and even though it tasted horrible. Surprisingly, it went away everywhere except my privates in less than a year. I do not have any answers to why it went away and have never heard of it going away naturally. If anyone has any questions, please email me at address provided. I am not some weird telemarketer or salesman, Just a retired Veteran that wants to help people with my disease. Thanks and jeep your heads up. You’re beautiful in and out. Jerry.

  88. can any one tell me clearly that
    does the vitiligo return after some time of cure ?
    plz I am confused
    plz plz plz

  89. Hello.i have this condition but I think it is in remission? I first noticed it when I was around 15…on my hands. I started getting white spots on my leg and one of my arms… luckily, I met a Hispanic (mexican) girl at school who also had the same Condition and her dad had it as well.
    At the time, I smoked on occasion. They told me to stop. Don’t drink pop, only water or juice. Eat fruits and vegetables only, although meat is ok, and avoid processed foods. He told me since I had so little of it, it was possible that I might get rid of it. He also gave me some tea..it was gone before I was 18…although the skin on my hands is NOW DARKER then my regular skin color… I don’t care, as long as it is not bright white, which was starting.
    I am now 35….I haven’t had any issues since I was 18 BUT I am starting to get away from that original diet my friends dad told me to stick with….a I hope it doesn’t come back. It seems like I notice the opposite now—some areas of my skin are a tiny bit darker then what it should be.
    So if your vitiligo isn’t too far along–it is possible to reverse…. research, find ppl who have it and ask around. Especially ppl of other cultures since they know and respect plants and herbs more then America does…
    It is possible, I am proof of it 🙂
    GOD BLESS!!! To those of you having a hard time, don’t ever give up, keep your head high!!!!!

  90. I’ve been living with vitiligo since 2nd grade. I remember waking up one morning and my mom asking what’s on my face.. I was teased bullied and had a very low self esteem growing up.. I’m 26 now and still live with vitiligo but have found ways to deal with it throughout the years.. Seeing people living with the same thing but looking completely happy has helped a lot. My vitiligo has went away dramatically the past 3 years and I have no idea why.. Growing up I had it on my entire body. My knees, elbows, eyes, chin, groin, back on neck, back of thigh, feet and hands. Now i only have it on my knees elbows, feet and hands. Don’t know why but it’s not on my face anymore. That’s something that I cried about for many years.. It doesn’t feel that different except I can go outside without makeup now.. Sometimes I think it went away because of my heavy makeup use.. I’ve used dermablend and all kinds of makeup. It got to the point that I would never take it off.. Spray tan u name it I’ve used it. Even then I would get teased. People didn’t understand why I had makeup on my entire body.. I’m have a very dark complexion so the Vitiligo is highly noticeable. I wish there was something I can do to help others.. Another thing I wonder about sometimes is medical marijuana. I have been using marijuana since my late teens and sometimes I think it may have something to do with my vitiligo going away. Idk I always here stories about cannabis oil as treatment for other diseases. Just a thought. It is natural. As a kid growing up I was always at the doctor trying new medicines but my vitiligo kept
    Spreading. I finally stopped all doctor visits when I was 12 and was learning to live with it. Not until my late 20s do I see a difference. I’m sure there is some kind of treatment out there..

    • Hi i have vitiligo too i had it since i was 6 or 7 years old i used to get bully to but all of a sudden people got used to me and didnt care if i had vitiligo they just treat me like a normal person. One day i tried marijuana with my brother and i noticed that my white spots stop growing for a while i was happy but then a few days past and they started growing back slowing i was curios if the marijuana would change my skin back to its normal color i wanted to try the marijuana again just to test my white spots but my brother didnt let me.

  91. Don’t worry about it. I was diagnosed with vitiligo at age 10 but was showing signs of its since 6. No matter what other people think of you all that matters is what YOU think of you. I salute you for trying to find a cute and trying to live your life. Just because your vitiligo isn’t severe doesn’t mean you can’t be active. People have teased me about my condition for years but I have found that is I let it get to me it only makes it worse. Don’t let anyone get you down and just stick your chin up, and smile.

  92. I am 43 and started experiencing Vitiligo on my chin, fore-head, armpit. It is spreading now to around my eyes. Really having a hard time dealing with it. Trying to process it and accept it. Worried about future employment and livelihood on top of it all. Taking Elidel prescrpition for past 3 months but so far no help. Has anyone tried this medicine? Has anyone researched MicroArt? (tries to basically cover it up and is temporary).
    I pray some solutions comes. I pray that all of us learn to survive this thing and to look past it somehow.
    Regards
    Eb

  93. hii my name is Rowena and I have vitiligo all over my body eccept my face and I’m 11 year old and I want this to leave does somebody now how please help me I want them to go I don’t want to grow up with this soo if someone now how to get this off please tell me and sorry for the others that have it to it’s hard to see yhourself like this but you have to believe in jourself

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  95. I got vitiligo when I was ten years old and at first it started like a halo around my birth mark and moles but then it quickly spread throughout my body and at age 12 I had little pigment left on my face and arms my Mom took me to the doctor and they told me it was a fungus so we used a cream they gave use to get rid of it but it wasn’t doing anything so we went to see a dermatologist we then found out it was vitiligo after a biopsy on both arms my dermatologist gave me different lotions and creams but none of them were working my dermatologist told me I could just let the vitiligo completely take over then I would have even skin but I didn’t want that so my mom took me to a different dermatologist he wanted to help me gain pigment back and still 2 years later everything was the same we then moved and I went outside alot more which tanned my little areas of pigmented skin it was wierd cause it looked like I had little islands on my skin haha but I started getting burnt really quickly and bad which to be honest sucks alot but after each burn I would notice later on skin pigment stated coming back and now at the age of 14 I’ve noticed i go outside more and little bits like tiny little dots of pigment are reappearing on my face and arms and a little but if my hands and backs of legs I don’t know what it is I just hope my vidiligo is going away because I’m in track and field and the uniforms are so uncomfortable because I feel like everyone is just starting at my skin…..but Ya that’s my story

  96. Hey Everyone
    I am worried about this VItiligo thing. My mother has white spots around her all lip area. I am afraid that its Vitiligo. The white spots sometimes go away and sometimes they come again. Does Vitiligo has these symptoms of fading away and then again they came. Is anyone who has the same problem.

  97. I have had vitiligo ever since I was 2 years old. I am now 14 and it had grown dramatically throughout my past years. It has spread all over the front of my shins, my fingers, my lips and elbows and feet. But recently I have noticed around the edges that it seems to have repigmented itself. These small coloured skin spots have been getting bigger and linking together so I think my vitiligo is fixing itself. Does anyone know anything about this? Can vitiligo fix itself up?

    • Yes, im 19 now and I have got it on my legs and only a spot on my right hand…some how same is happening with me as you told that it is repigmenting ….my most of small areas have got the normal colour …I wonder if it can really treat itself ..But the process is slow….I hope it goes as soon as possible…

  98. I am 17 and i have vitiligo since 15 i cried once but since that i dont give a fuck. Just live with that and be happy. Forget it. Its like a tattoo (; Sometimes when i look to my vitiligo i think about it and it makes me sad but theres nothing that i can do so i dont care anymore i just live with that (;

  99. I have had vitiligo for about 17 years.it was very hard at first.i was only 24 when I got it.now 98 percent of my body is white I must say I am happy spots are gone for sure and live a great life.not ready to actually be all white being I am a light skin black woman so I been covering up with make up called dermablen big a great make up have the time you can’t til I have it.but just want everyone to stay positive and live life.cant be unhappy about something you can’t change we can only live with it.god bless guys and I hope you all be ok

  100. My 4 year old daughter got it less than two months ago. It was during a field trip to the zoo. She came back with a halo nevis mole on her neck and some spots around her right eye and her entire left eyelid. We got Protopic a month after the spots appeared. 3 weeks in, we haven’t seen any results, but it seems to prevent the light spots on her chin from getting worse. She has pin point spots on her one knee and one elbow and recently two toes. They are so tiny as not to be noticeable to anyone else, but it makes me worried. I’m trying to stay calm about this. The marks on her face aren’t too noticeable – I keep her bangs longer but they do seem to shine white in the sunlight. Inside, you can hardly notice unless you’re looking for it.

    My biggest concern is keeping her self esteem high. I’m almost glad she got it young so it becomes part of her identity. My biggest obstacle is my husband who does not want to alter her diet. I loathe him when he fights me on it, but he’s otherwise an amazing dad.

    She has had stomach and bowel issues her whole life. I have Graves disease in remission (I got it after my first was born and had it during my pregnancy with her). I was having weird symptoms myself with my diet and have been gluten free for 2 years. Dairy and ice cream also bother me since my thyroid issues. So I do believe diet plays a part. Her sister has bowel issues and breaks out in bad eczema on her hands. I believe they are all related.

    I’m off thyroid meds for 4 years now. Just doing my best to stay positive. She doesn’t care right now. Let’s hope it stays that way 🙂

  101. Hi. I have some white Patches on my finger joints . Is it vitiligo. If yes so is it any cure.and also is aloe Vera is good for this

  102. hi my name is gwen i have it all over my body it started when i was about 42 yrs old it started on my face my forhead to be exact when it first happened i use to cover it up with makeup then i though this is me i need to start excepting it.i have people who will say i am still beautiful it took me a while to believe it children will stare and aske whats wrong and i tell them now some of my coloring is coming back so thats good but overall i try to stay positive it happened

  103. Has anyone gotten Vitiligo this way??
    I had some old paint in different colors of Beige and mixed these old paint colors together, until I had the color I wanted for my bedroom. I painted the walls and that slept in the room that nite and every nite. At about two weeks after that painting of the room, I noticed In the mirror that on both sides of my neck I was whiter, as my freckles and natural skin color had disappeared. That is the only

    • Hey, I could share my story with you if you’re interested 🙂 I never made a 100% recovery but I wouldn’t mind sharing my experience with you. Email me @ [email protected] I will really help you.

  104. you know whats funny is that there seems to be cures for vitiligo but no one will share the cure why because they want you to suffer so you will pay whatever it takes to cure it!

  105. Hi guys! I had this disease since I was grade 3 and now I’m currently going on 9th grade and still have this. When the doctor gave a cream that I always put in my vitiligo affected area it stopped spreading. I have it on my back and on left tummy side. I’m scared that for my whole life no one will love me. But I made a nice plan hehe, study hard, then get a high income job then cure my vitiligo. Just trust in God.

  106. Hey guys, I have been suffering from vitiligo since i was in grade 3. I tried every damn thing in the world to cure it, but all the efforts were in vain, I carried this around with me for over 8 years before I finally found something that sort of helped me. Although I never made a full recovery, I recovered enough to boost my morale back up and stand on my own feet. If anyone is interested in knowing my story you can always email me.

    • Hello,
      Have you tried Vitix gel? I tried to find real people reviews on the internet but I can’t find any. Just the reviews on the Vitix website. My daughter is 4 and she was just diagnosed a week ago.
      Thank you.

  107. I’ve had vitiligo since I was 4, I am currently 17 and I’ve grown to accept it. My stomach and chest are nearly all white, as are my hands and feet. I have large patches on my arms, knees, legs, and elbows. I used to cover it up and always wear sleeves and pants, even in hot weather. Now, I’ve just accepted it. All my friends tell me how beautiful and different in a good way it makes me. I even have a wonderful boyfriend who thinks it’s great! Soon after I started accepting that this was just how my body was going to be, the spots on my legs and neck started to get smaller, and I got more of my natural pigmentation back. I went to a dermatologist and he didn’t know what might have caused it, because I wasn’t doing anything on my own to treat my vitiligo. I used to get called names and made fun of a lot, especially when I was younger, but I soon learned that whatever negative things they had to say about me don’t matter. I know that I’m still beautiful, and in a way that only people with vitiligo are.

    Vitiligo is art. It is a painting on your skin done by nature or God or whatever you believe in. Yes, it may feel like a curse, but with the right mindset, it can be a blessing. Through it, I have gained courage, courage I never thought I could have. While some with vitiligo are embarassed to show their legs, I wear a dress and walk with my head held high. Why not give others something to talk about? I can show them how beautiful vitiligo really is. Everyone else can, too. Embrace it! In a world where differences are frowned upon, show them why vitiligo is nothing to frown at.

  108. My names Nicole and I’ve had vitiligo since I was in 2nd grade, I’m currently in highschool now and it does get easier. I’ve had vitiligo for a while know and trust i know how some of you guys feel. I won’t lie, it bothers me everyday I look into the mirror but that doesn’t mean I show it. I know I have people who love me, and I’m not alone. That’s why I’m here today, I am strong and no way am I going to have a few spots on my face change the way I live my life. If no guy wants me so what? I’m happy the way I am. Sure I would love for it to go away but if it doesn’t I will love myself anyway.

  109. °Hi. My names Gianna.Ok. So I’m pretty Sure I have vitiligo. At first I noticed a little spot on my knee with a whole bunch of white dots. I instantly looked up my symptoms. That’s when I realized what it was. Today I was at camp with my friend and I notice a whole bunch of white spots on the back of my leg. I started freaking out. Then my friend pointed out that I also have a white spot on my forehead. It keeps getting worse and worse. Any advice?°
    ??

  110. I have had vitiligo since I was 11 and now I am 18. It’s so depressing to look at your face and see yourself becoming white and white each day. It began developing from my scalp turning my hair white then my eyebrows and now my cheek is affected too. I’ve been taking medication for this for the past 7 years but to no avail. From sitting in the sun for hours and applying those ointments I’ve done every possible thing. It feels so depressing to think what my dad and mum have to go through seeing me. They cannot sleep at night thinking about my condition. I started college this year people did not want to befriend me for my condition. My self confidence is tampered and i cry the whole day. I feel like a burden to my parents who have to take me places to doctors in a hope that I’ll somehow be cured. I feel so ugly. I feel any disease may have been better than this one where I’ve become a person wherein people think before approaching me for the way I look they are scared of me. I hate myself for being this way but it comes naturally when you feel helpless and you see your parents worrying endlessly because of you. I so wish to be accepted into the society for the way I look but it seems impossible I rather wish to kill myself, but then again I do not have the courage my whole personality my demeanor has changed for these spots. I just want to die

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