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.
• 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.
Symptoms Of Vitiligo
• The most prominent symptom of vitiligo is the de-pigmented patches on the skin.
• The de-pigmented patches are more common in the areas of the body that exposed to the sun such as arms, face, lips, hands and feet.
• The less common symptoms include premature whitening or graying of the hair, eyelashes, eyebrows and beard.
• Loss of color of the mucous membranes lining the inside of the mouth is also seen in some affected people.
• There will be changes in the color of the retina.
Though there is no permanent remedy for vitiligo the home remedies for vitiligo helps to improve the appearance of the skin and to reduce the speed of progression of the disease.
• The de-pigmented patches are more common in the areas of the body that exposed to the sun such as arms, face, lips, hands and feet.
• The less common symptoms include premature whitening or graying of the hair, eyelashes, eyebrows and beard.
• Loss of color of the mucous membranes lining the inside of the mouth is also seen in some affected people.
• There will be changes in the color of the retina.
Though there is no permanent remedy for vitiligo the home remedies for vitiligo helps to improve the appearance of the skin and to reduce the speed of progression of the disease.
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.
• 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.
• 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. PUVA Treatment
One of the popular vitiligo home remedies that you can think of is psoralen and ultraviolet A therapy or PUVA therapy. The drug that is prescribed by the doctor can be taken orally or also can be used topically.
• The chemicals that are present in the psoralen will react with the ultraviolet light and this will help in reducing the white patches developed on your skin.
• The areas where you find discoloration of the skin has to be exposed to sunlight or UV light in timed sessions for many days in order to notice visible differences on the skin. It is a time consuming home remedy.
• The chemicals that are present in the psoralen will react with the ultraviolet light and this will help in reducing the white patches developed on your skin.
• The areas where you find discoloration of the skin has to be exposed to sunlight or UV light in timed sessions for many days in order to notice visible differences on the skin. It is a time consuming home remedy.
5. 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.
• 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Psoralen Seeds
Psoralen herb is known to be an effective herb for vitiligo home remedies. You can use the seeds of this herb to treat vitiligo problems. • Soak about 25 grams of tamarind and about 2 teaspoons of Psoralen seeds in water for a minimum of 4 days. Dry them and then grind it into a coarse paste with the same water. • Apply this paste on the white patches every day for a month. Leave it there for 20 minutes and then wash it off. • Repeat daily once or twice to see a reduction in the white patches on the skin.
9. Psoralen Powder And Ginger
• Put Psoralen seeds in a grinder along with dried ginger and grind it into a smooth powder. • Take a teaspoon of this powder and mix it with one glass of warm milk. Drink this milk every day for a month or two to see effective results.
10. Mama Cadela Roots
Another natural home remedy that you can think of for treating vitiligo problems is Mama Cadela roots. • Boil the roots of the Mama Cadela plant in warm for about 10 to 15 minutes. • You can now apply the extract on the affected areas of the skin regularly every day to reduce the whiteness on your skin.
11. Ginkgo Biloba
One herb that will work as a vitiligo home remedy is the Ginkgo Biloba herb. It is used to treat a lot of health problems and it has the unique property of slowing down the progression of a disease. It will help in re-pigmenting the white patches on your skin on continuous application as a paste.
12. Sweet Basil Leaves
Basil leaves are found to be effective in treating vitiligo skin problems. • Extract lemon juice from five to six lemons. Now, add a teaspoon or two of the sweet basil leaves extract to the lemon juice and mix well. • Apply this mixture on the affected areas of the skin generously and leave it there for 15 minutes. • Wash with warm water and pat dry. Repeat everyday for 5 to 6 months to see re-pigmentation of the skin.
13. Red Clay And Ginger Mixture
You need to add fresh extracts of ginger juice in the red clay mixture or in powdered red clay. Mix this well and then apply to the areas where you find white pigments. Repeat this process for 4 to 5 months to see a reduction in the white patches and pigmentation to appear over the white patches.
14. Psoralen Powder With Coconut Oil
Combine Psoralen powder with barberry root powder, black cumin and coconut oil. Mix them and make it to a smooth paste. Apply this mixture everyday on the white patches on your skin to see visible results appear on the skin after 4 to 5 months. You will see the reduction in the white patches on your skin and will also see skin darkening over the white patches.
15. Proper Diet
There is a specific or recommended diet that you need to take to reduce vitiligo problems. This is a problem that can arise in humans due to lack of a nutritious diet. Make sure that you take a nutritious and wholesome diet every day to stay healthy and to prevent vitiligo problems to affect your skin. Some of the beneficial foods that you can include in your daily diet are:
• Green Tea
• Olive oil
• Black Pepper
• Ginger and garlic
• Turmeric powder
• Green Tea
• Olive oil
• Black Pepper
• Ginger and garlic
• Turmeric powder
16. Special Ayurvedic Diet
Some of the specialized Ayurvedic practitioners from Kerala in South India have prescribed a special diet that needs to taken continuously for 40 days along with external application of natural medicines and remedies to get rid of vitiligo problems in two months time.
• Make sure that you consume about 600 grams of raw cucumber every day three times a day and stick to a vegetarian diet.
• You need to take three beetle leaves three times a day along with raw cucumber to see a reduction in white patches on your skin.
• Make sure that you consume about 600 grams of raw cucumber every day three times a day and stick to a vegetarian diet.
• You need to take three beetle leaves three times a day along with raw cucumber to see a reduction in white patches on your skin.
17. Walnuts
• Grind walnuts in a blender to make it into a coarse powder.
• Take 2 teaspoons of the coarse walnut powder and mix it with a little bit of water.
• Mix to make a coarse thick paste and apply in the affected areas three to four times a day.
• Leave it to react with the skin for 15 to 20 minutes and then wash it off.
• Repeat this process for about two months or so to see a slight reduction in the white patches on the skin.
• Take 2 teaspoons of the coarse walnut powder and mix it with a little bit of water.
• Mix to make a coarse thick paste and apply in the affected areas three to four times a day.
• Leave it to react with the skin for 15 to 20 minutes and then wash it off.
• Repeat this process for about two months or so to see a slight reduction in the white patches on the skin.
18. Margosa Leaves
• Grind the neatly washed margosa leaves in a blender and then extract the juice of the margosa leaves paste.
• Now take two teaspoons of this juice and mix it will 1 teaspoon of pure honey.
• Drink this mixture three times a day for about a month or more to see re-pigmentation on your skin and reduced white patches.
• Now take two teaspoons of this juice and mix it will 1 teaspoon of pure honey.
• Drink this mixture three times a day for about a month or more to see re-pigmentation on your skin and reduced white patches.
Are you worried seeing the white patches on your skin and feel embarrassed at the sight of it? Do you want to know the best home remedies that will help you to fight the problems caused by vitiligo on your skin? Well, all you need to do is to try out a combination of three to four mentioned home remedies to fight the vitiligo problems naturally.