The pigment melanin is responsible for the color of our skin. Due to the destruction of pigment cells called melanin the skin will develop chalk white spots or patches. This is known as Vitiligo. Though vitiligo affects people from all races, the condition is more visible in people with darker skin. The problem causes distress in people with dark skin. This is a chronic disease which starts with small areas of the skin and spreading to larger areas of the skin. People within the age limit 10 to 30 are more prone to this condition. In about 30 % of the affected people the skin begins to re-pigment naturally if exposed to the sun.
Causes of Vitiligo
There are no definite causes identified for the development of vitiligo. It is considered as an autoimmune problem which attacks the pigment skins.
• In some people stress or illness acts as a triggering factor.
• According to scientists heredity may be a factor as there is increased incidence in vitiligo in people with a family history of vitiligo.
• People with family or personal history of endocrine diseases or connective tissue diseases are also prone to develop vitiligo. These include thyroid diseases, Addison’s disease, pernicious anemia, alopecia areata.
Home Remedies For Vitiligo
The following are some of the vitiligo home remedies that you can try out to prevent the disease from rapidly affecting on your skin and hair.
1. Use Sun Protection Screen
If you are affected by vitiligo and if you are a person who is on the fairer side, then it is vital that you need to use a sunscreen lotion of at least 30 on your skin. The lotion must also be offering you protection against both UVA and UVB so that you get good protection from the harmful rays of the sun .This will help in reducing the vitiligo signs to some extent. Apply it every time you go out in the sun.
• Sunscreen lotion helps to protect your skin from sunburn and also long term damage.
• It will help in reducing the tanning considerably and hence the de-pigmentation of the skin due to vitiligo is not easily noticed.
2. Cosmetic Cover Ups
If your skin shows white patches here and there, then one of the trusted home remedy for vitiligo is to use cosmetic cover up the area where pigmentation is less and there is a color difference in the skin.
• These concealing cosmetics will lessen the appearance of white patches on your skin and you need to run a trial and error method to find the most suitable cover up cream for your skin so that your vitiligo is not visible that easily.
• Self tanners also will help in conceal the light colored patches on your skin by adding color to the lesser pigmented areas.
• These colors will not wash off and will gradually fade off as dead skin develops.
3. Protect Skin From Cuts
One of the things that you must be careful of when you are suffering from vitiligo skin conditions is that you should reduce the skin trauma as far as possible. A small cut or abrasion on your skin will not just add to the pain and bleeding problems but it will also boost the chances of developing vitiligo in these affected areas.
4. Turmeric And Mustard Oil
One of the natural home remedies for vitiligo that will help you to effectively reduce white patches to develop on your skin is the use of turmeric and mustard oil.
• Take about 250 ml of organic mustard oil in a bowl and mix it with 5 full teaspoons of turmeric powder.
• Make sure that this mixture is mixed properly.
• Apply this mixture to the affected areas of your skin and leave it there for 15 to 20 minutes. Wash it off after 20 minutes and pat it dry.
• Repeat this procedure for at least two times a day fro 15 to 20 days to see visible reduction in the color of the white patches on your skin.
5. Drink Water Stored In Copper Vessel
One of the effective home remedy for vitiligo that does take a lot of time to show visible results is regular drinking of water that is stored in a copper vessel.
• If you are suffering from vitiligo symptoms, then make sure that you only drink water stored in a copper utensil.
• You need to store water in this utensil for longer periods of times that water imbibes all the necessary minerals from the copper vessel.
• This will help in increasing the production of melanin in your body and your skin will show reduced whiteness.
• This does not show instant results and you need to practice this for quite a long time to see effective results on your skin.
6. Radish Seeds
Radish seeds are found to be effective in the regeneration of melanin in human skin.
• Crush about 50 grams of radish seeds into a fine powder and mix it with about 50 to 60 ml of vinegar to make a thick smooth paste.
• Apply this radish seed powder paste on the affected areas of the skin every day.
• Leave it there for 15 minutes and wash it off.
• Repeat this for six months and you will see skin darkening over the white patches.
Vitiligo is a skin disease. So try these home remedies and live vitiligo free life as well as please do like and share this informative post with your friends and family!!!