Bharat Homeopathy is proud of its commitment to advancing vitiligo care for several years, dating back to the introduction of the AYUSH ministry in India. Although there has been transformative progress and advances in the homeopathic treatment landscape during this time, we continue to work in a direction that ensures more patients receive the best vitiligo care. Collaboration through providing online treatment is an essential element of our efforts to increase access to treatment and obtain breakthroughs for people with vitiligo and other skin disorders all over the world.
Bharat Homeopathy encourages partnership and knowledge sharing through various YouTube channels, social media platforms, and a website accessible to patients and youth groups in both rural and remote areas. Through counselling sessions and shared experiences, our dedicated team of healthcare professionals has gained access to the latest clinical homeopathic practices, various remedies for white patches on skin, and treatment protocols. In turn, we have tried to gain valuable insights into resource-limited settings and areas.
What is vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a condition that causes certain areas of skin to lose pigmentation, resulting in a severe skin disease with white patches. In some cases, either the majority or the entire skin may turn white. The color of skin, hair, and eyes is due to a pigment known as melanin. This pigment is linked to the melanocytes, the cells responsible for pigment production in the epidermis (the skin’s outer layer). Darker-skinned individuals have more melanin than those with lighter skin.
Vitiligo develops when the melanocytes are attacked (and eliminated) by the body’s immune system. “When the pigment-producing cells in the skin are destroyed, individuals develop white spots, resulting in emotional and social challenges,” says Dr Kanchan, Bharat Homeopathy.
What parts of the body can vitiligo affect?
Vitiligo can develop on any part of the body. It most frequently impacts the skin surrounding the eyes, mouth, elbows, wrists, hands, and ankles. While the white spots on the skin may affect a significantly larger area of the skin, it is unusual for individuals to lose the pigment completely.
Early Symptoms
Vitiligo usually begins with light-colored, tiny white spots on skin that eventually become lighter and ultimately turn white. These patches are often irregularly shaped and can differ in size. Gradually, these may either remain unchanged or spread to other areas of the body. Some of the most common indicators include:
- Pale or depigmented areas on the skin, particularly on sun-exposed regions such as the face, hands, arms, and feet
- White spots on the lips, fingertips, or around the mouth and eyes
- Premature greying of hair on the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, & beard
- Pigment loss in the mucous membranes(insides of the mouth or nose)
These patches are generally not painful and do not cause itching. The degree and rate of pigment loss differ from individual to individual. In certain cases, the white spots may stop progressing naturally, while in others, they may spread gradually or rapidly to other parts of the body.
Psychological Impact of Vitiligo
Approximately ~0.25% to 4% of the Indian population is affected by vitiligo, a skin condition with white patches. This skin condition is psychologically challenging for most people who have it. Several people struggling with this skin condition face a lot of stigma and psychological stress due to the same. Vitiligo patches could be white or brown in color, and may affect a tiny area of the body or may be widespread to a large area. Resultingly, several patients may view the condition only from a cosmetic angle. However, one must be careful of this being an autoimmune disorder and address the root cause for the permanent treatment of vitiligo.
Why is early identification crucial?
Despite advances in homeopathic treatment techniques, accurate and early diagnosis of vitiligo skin conditions, such as non-segmental or generalized vitiligo, remains a challenge. Many patients cycle through multiple physicians & treatment regimens and struggle for years to receive a confirmed diagnosis. As vitiligo is a progressive disease, timely diagnosis and management are crucial, with the goal of improving overall quality of life.
To help tackle this challenge, Bharat Homeopathy tries to educate patients about the early stage vitiligo symptoms along with home remedies through their YouTube channels. Additionally, embracing advances in providing online treatment, we intend to help patients living in remote areas, paving the way for improved health outcomes for vitiligo patients.
