Living With Vitiligo!

Dr Roopa Kamath,Ayurveda Consultant, Institute of Applied Dermatology, Kasaragod, Kerala

Vitiligo is an autoimmune medical condition in which patches of skin lose their colour or get depigmented. It occurs when melanocytes the skin pigment colouring cells destroyed. Vitiligo can affect any part of the body of any age or gender. Though vitiligo is a cosmetic disorder, it can be emotionally and socially devastating disease. It can lead to depression and frustration as the progress or healing of the disease is unpredictable.

Allopathic treatment includes phototherapy and topical treatments.  Phototherapy with Ultraviolet-A and Narrow Band Ultraviolet-B lights requires patient to attend clinics a few times in a month and leads to compliance issues. If medical treatments are ineffective surgical treatments may be an option like skin grafts, but again doesn’t come with a guaranteed cure.

Psychological support is a crucial part of vitiligo treatment. A sudden diagnosis with vitiligo can be disturbing for a person. They struggle with self-esteem issue, fear and acceptance that might lead to depression. They have to deal with social stigma due to misunderstanding about the contagiousness of this condition.

Stress management and giving colour back to vitiligo is where the application of alternative medicines likes Ayurveda, homoeopathy and yogasana helps. Ayurveda describes the disease as “Swithra” and has many herbal formulations described by the ancient acharyas. It aims at treating the root cause of the disease and focuses on detoxification treatment bringing some lightness of the body without any adverse effects while treated ethically.

Homoeopathy relates to all complaints, and considering the mental factors as priority; treatment prescribed. Yoga helps to calm the mind and in the long run, helps the patient to balance themselves emotionally and physically.

The above combinations are a boon to Psychodermatological conditions like vitiligo. Institute of applied dermatology is one institution focused on treating Psychodermatological condition with an integrative approach and ensuring no side effects.