Thoughts on Managing Vitiligo Naturally

Thank you Dr Kim for sharing your experience with having vitiligo.

It's evident that you understand all the aspects that having this 'flavor' of autoimmune disease has on someone. By describing the emotional stress that was your trigger and emphasizing that nutrition, lifestyle,and quality sleep are critical to our bodies pigmenting process you illustrate that we do have some control...some input on how this disease will affect us.

And I agree with you that the emotional challenges of living with vitiligo are unique to each of us that are dealing with it -- it's our own journey on our own timetable...that couldn't be a truer statement.

Your writing is heartfelt...and I appreciate your sharing your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Jann Breslin

Dr. Kim~

Your openness and sincerity are such special gifts. The honesty in your words have such healing qualities; I believe its from this very place of openness that shifts occur so our own healing can occur. God bless you for having the courage to share so openly.

I have had issues with melasma on my face for the past couple years - so dark and widespread that I questioned whether it was in fact vitiligo. As a woman, it has felt like a mask of shame on many occasions. I've searched high and low for the reasons.

I personally believe that I did damage to my filtering organs (liver and kidney) in my early 20's when a doctor prescribed Accutane for a short period of cystic acne. It's my belief that these organs have been compromised ever since, and so my toxins (excess hormones such as estrongen, cortisol, envirotoxins etc.) are filtered through my skin.

I wondered your opinion for the best approach to strengthening the filtering organs. Also wondering if having anemia can contribute to
melasma or other skin issues.

Again, many thanks for your faith and wisdom~
Estee

I am an African American who began to see many light spots below my knuckles to just past my wrist, and bigger spots on top of my feet. I take blood pressure medication and wonder if the undiluted vinegar I drank 2-3 times a day may have triggered this condition. The spots began to appear about 6 months ago. I work inside alot and probably don't get as much sunlight as I should. I just want these spots to go away. People are starting to ask what's wrong. Thank you for sharing, Dr. Kim. Any specific recommendations would be appreciated.

Dear DR. Kim,

At age 48, I started to develop Vitiligo on both upper areas
of my arms and on my private area.
Also the hair in that area has turned white.
My biggest problem is that I constantly itch on my arms and
all over my body.

Briefly Dr. Kim,

I'm currently 53 yrs old. In 2001, I was diagnosed with
Minimal Chance Disease-Nephrotic Syndrome.
The last 8 years of my life has been horrible.
I take Prednisone every day and Cyclosporine-100mg/daily
My body itches every night like crazy.
I tried every over the counter cream and also prescription
creams-nothing helps.
Do you think there is special diet that I should be on to
assist me in getting better again?

Sorry to burden you with too much.

Thank you,
Zach

Well Dr. Ben,

All I can say is, and I hope this comes out right....but I am greatful that you came down with vitiligo. Because, because of this very cosmetic situation, we, and there are many of us....have the wonderful, kind, caring and genuine benefits from the whom you became due to this 'situation'.

I so love all your your e-letters. I read them all word for word. I love how you love your wife and kids, and I love how you have no problem expressing when you have made errors and how you corrected them.

You are a truly down to earth, caring human, and that is very hard to come by nowadays. And also, I am sure that you look quite fine, and we all have bumps and moles and spots and think that they are horrible....well, we are all self concious about something. And really, I don't think that half of what we fear people care about. And if they do......well, they have other issues that makes them just miserable and they pick on people.

So, THANK YOU SO MUCH, for being you, just the way you are. Spots or not. Just think, spots are not so bad...stripes would be a little harder to explain...:):)

I have red moles. One big one under my eye! But no doctor will take it off because red moles are harmless. And it is not small. And the kids well, they don't know what to think of it, but they are used to it. And so am I now. Heck....it has been there for a long time and now it is part of me. So, I guess if someone hated me for that mole, then they weren't worth being friends with. However, no one has ever said anything about it, so I guess, like you say, the fear is mine.

Thanks so much again, and you are well loved by your subscribers.

Sincerely,

Dana

Being half breed Native American, I experienced vitiligo two times in life. Maybe three.

I had eye surgery at age 3. My straight hair curled after surgery with extensive sedation. I still remember vividly "going under" to this day.

I had major foot surgery at age 12. I was under sedation 4 hours . . . more than expected. I sunburned ever since.

From 1985 - 1996 I took allergy shots in both arms, which are now pure white patchy with dark patches.

Now I avoid the sun because I burn so easily. I know sun is good for me, but, I'm post-menopausal, don't tolerate heat and sun is heat.

I'm not emotionally or culturally sensitive about the white patches, just aware.

It's a funny combination.

Blessings and health to all with the same situation. LISA

Dear Dr Kim
Thankyou so much for sharing your experience. I also have the condition. It can be very distressing but I am starting to see the positives too - it certainly has made me much more aware of diet, stress, sun exposure etc, and increased my compassion and priorities in life. My vitiligo started during a period of incredible stress, and has been accompanied by brief bouts of other autoimmune symptoms at times. I find that meditation (Sahaja Yoga) helps enormously in getting the immune system under control. The white patches have more or less stabilised.
Thanks again
Graham

Thank you for your story and information regarding vitiligo. It is very interesting. Ironically, thousands and thousands of people suffer from a condition that is opposite of Vitiligo. A condition called MELASMA. Through my studies, I have found many many websites and blogs dedicated to this disfiguring, self confidence stealing condition. It's an over pigmentation of skin cells. More women than men suffer from this, mostly on their face. This Could be hormonal, however, nothing seems to help. Diet, supplementations, topical treatments give little to no relief. Do you have any insight on this matter?
Thank you!

I have rarely seen cases of vitiligo, but I have seen large dark patches on some people. What is the difference betweent the two? It seems to maintain the same idea of growth in patches, but it is dark instead of light. Perhaps it stems from auto immune issues too? Curious

Dr. Kim,

No coincidence your dealing with with vitiligo led you down a path that changed your life forever. Congratulations on "observing where you are" and letting it take you into healing and not depression and bitterness. I grew up with Crohns disease and Ankylosing Spondylitis which altered my path into the study of meditation. Now, after many years, I teach meditation and mindfulness to others and could not be happier. Our pain becomes our teacher - if we just listen. Thank you for listening and becoming a healer.

Don

Thanks for this informative article on vitiligo. While sunlight exposure is useful I would have to say that there was no information on compounds that allow the sunlight to work better AND produce more meaningful results than sunshine alone. I don't believe that sunshine ALONE is terribly useful.

Of course, the diet has to be good to support the immune system while calming down any auto-immune problem. That's a given. In addition, the useful compounds like Ammi Visnaga should be applied before appearing in the sun for a few minutes. After just a few days, you MIGHT see the color coming back. A small quantity of copper as a dietary supplement may also be useful, about 2-4 milligrams per day with food. Just be sure to also take 10-15 milligrams of zinc to balance it out AND at a different time than the copper. Also, be sure to NOT take too much vitamin C as it depresses copper. No more than 3,000 milligrams and separate from the copper. While the evidence is not good for copper reversing vitiligo, it also has not been well studied. It does play a crucial role in pigmentation (and prevention of aneurysms!), so it is good to consider. My vitiligo occured after an extremely serious physical attack on me caused an auto-immune response four years ago. Months later, the vitiligo occured. I was able to stop it and mostly reverse it using the methods mentioned above: copper, ammi visnaga and a super healthy diet based mostly on organically raised foods.

Thank you for sharing about this. I've only seen pictures of you and never noticed any spots, just a very warm and happy smile.

I have had bouts with ezcema over the years and as you described with vitiligo, my bouts tend to flare when i'm under a lot of stress. Certain foods sometimes seem to trigger it, too, chiefly dairy, but i'm usually eating those foods at the same time as the stress, so can't tell if it's a contributing factor. At unstressful times, i've eaten dairy, and have had no eruptions.

I've seen people with vitiligo, but didn't realise that's what it was. My husband had acne as a teenager, and he has some acne scars on his face. They're not very noticeable, but when i first met him, he was very self-conscious about them. I understood how he felt as i used to get ezcema on my face a lot when i was a kid, and his assessment of his scars made me realise that we often see our blemishes as much bigger or more serious than how many others see us.

I don't know who said this originally, but a friend sent me this in an email. Not exactly related to vitiligo, but a great outlook:

"Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know 'why' I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved."

Thank you, Dr. Kim. It takes a lot of courage to be that open.

I just want to share what a homeopathic healer once told me - that vitiligo has its roots in emotional disturbance and that people with vitiligo "are not comfortable in their own skin". And that the emotional problem must be healed before physical healing can occur.

Thanks for all you articles Dr Kim, I feel as though they really progressed my understanding on health. This recent series has been particularly good.
Your own account on vitiligo has really hit home with me, because I have had not to long ago a case of severe acne on my face and body. I can really emphasize on the self-consciousness you described in your article. I remember with not to much fondness of when I was at my lowest, the incredible sense of shame and self-loathing that I was feeling at the time.
I too found natural hygiene because of my affliction; and was surprised to find that all the pills and lotions in the world couldn't achieve what a healthy lifestyle and diet naturally gravitated towards. Nowadays I only have rather mild facial redness and some hyper-pigmentation to contend with, but I'm noticing that even these are visibly fading after recently going up a gear in terms of diet.
The only real problem left is the residual emotional effects, I still retain my self-conscious outlook and paranoia almost with the smallest of things. I hope that these too will fade in time.
This article has really inspired me though, reading about you own battle has really made me re-think my own situation in the light of your Zen-like positive mindset and unflinching resolve. :)
Please continue your fine work Dr Kim. Thank you.

I have had vitiligo for nearly 20 years. I have recently realized that the disappearance of the pigment in my skin is related to how I felt as a child in my family and as an adult. I felt invisible and not very important. I believe that my skin was the outside manifestation of how I was feeling internally.
My hands have repigmented nearly 85% and the areas not repigmented fully are light but not white. I feel that it has been a combination of psychological work as well as dietary choices. I avoid wheat and nightshade vegetables. I also eat raw cow dairy or goat/sheep cheese although not that much.

Thanks for sharing this with us. Years ago I met a lady with the same problem but several years later she was healed and returned to normal. I really don't know what she did besides having christians pray for her. There may be more to it than I know. But I do know she had it on her face, hands & arms.

As you mentioned in your email link to this blog, "This post is for people who have vitiligo, people who know others with vitiligo, and for anyone who has struggled with low self esteem over any life issue."

Although I do not have vitiligo, with the recent passing of Michael Jackson, I was curious to hear what you had to say about this skin condition. However, it was your poignant discussion of the emotional side of illness which struck a cord with me and I am sure many others.

In the previous 10 months, I was diagnosed and treated for brain cancer with radiation therapy followed by nasal and cranial surgery. Surgeons entered my skull through my forehead. When the bandages were removed I came face to face with Frankenstein: I was left with 50 staples from ear to ear where the skin was cut back like a flap and then put back. Although I attended a “pre-op” class for brain surgery candidates, nothing could prepare me for what I saw in the mirror. Being bald, my road to recovery from a "public spectacle stance" has been as challenging as the overall trauma from the treatments and surgery. To add to the mix, I have had esotropic strabismus all my life with 2 minor corrections.

I can relate to your words of people staring. With esotropia, if I am talking to a person or persons and one of my eyes is off doing its own thing – they “uncomfortably” look away. The "self esteem" challenges are very real. It has been very difficult to be a "patient" patient recovering from cancer. As my sister-in-law helped me to say, “This is a real (expletive deleted) moment in my life.” There is no definitive handbook on getting back on your feet after cancer or managing awkward things that make us appear different. We often suffer alone not realizing that it is more universal than we think.

Entering adulthood and the workforce/career world, I pushed my Ophthalmologist to see if more could be done to correct my eyes. Although he had been my surgeon since I was 6 months of age, his words left me distraught: "Choose a career where you won't have to deal with people face to face". That was 27 years ago.

The things that don't break us - make us. Since then, I have only worked with people face to face in various industries and have lived in several countries along the way. I relate to the development of “empathy” and “compassion” you acknowledge in your journey – spin-offs of the challenges you met head on through the years, willingly or not. When diagnosed with cancer, my proactive attitude caught some friends and family by surprise. I responded, “Now is not the time to sit on the curb and cry – I have to things to do.” Some days I’m not sure where that tenacity comes from.

Over the past couple months, I have grown used to people in my neighbourhood staring at the healing scar. “Sneaking glances” of horror have gradually been replaced with smiles and nods. In some ways, “we've” all grown through this experience because I have chosen not to hide. Thank you for sharing your story Dr Kim! (Happy to note: Pathology and MRI results post-op show I am clear of all cancer.)

Hello Dr. Kim,
Thank you for your very positive article about vitiligo. I was recently diagnosed with this condition and needless to say I have been very distressed about it. I am hoping I will eventually come to terms with it and arrive at some peace, but at this point I am not there yet. I am a 40 year old woman and was very shocked to receive this diagnosis. I have a few white spots right now, and I am living in fear and anxiety as to how it will progress. As a young girl, teen, and woman, I always took great care of the way I look. To contend with this challenge in my life now is very distressing. However, I am going to take this day by day. I have to for the sake of my family. They need me to be strong. Strong like I have always been prior to getting this diagnosis. For the first time in my life, I am experiencing depression. I've seen other people suffer from it, and wondered why they could not come out of it. Now I understand full well the impact depression has on one's soul. I keep returning to your website for help and answers and I have received some comfort knowing how you had dealt with the same condition. I find that the more people I talk to about it, the easier it gets. In some way, I am grieving. I am now thinking, how can I take vacations with my family to a sunny destination? I will now have to take extra care in so many situations.
Again thanks for sharing your experience. I hope at some point I will get to your level of acceptance of this disorder.

<p>I've had vitiligo since I was 5 - it was just on my feet for years until I reached my teens then developed on my breasts which was mortifying - trying to feel comfortable with my body and the way I looked as a teenage girl with the added problem of pale nipples. I am now 32 and have 3 children. My vitiligo has gotten worst with each child and is now over most of my chest, my calves, hands, feet, elbows, breasts, genitalia and a bit on my face. I live in New Zealand where it's very sunny and have been burnt quite a bit on my chest area. Do you know if there is any correlation between vitiligo and skin cancer? I always use suntan lotion but it does burn very easily. I too became interested in Natural Health when I was 21 whilst investigating vitiligo. I am half way through a naturopathy degree that has been put on halt while my children are pre-schoolers. I also wanted to know more about permanent damage to the melanocytes. Is there any way to know whether permanent damage has been done or not? Years ago I heard that eating liver can help vitiligo. Has anyone else heard of this? I'm a bit torn between feeling that I should be vegetarian and yet loving meet and feeling that I should maybe eat more organ meats. Many thanks.</p>

I've had vitilogo all my life. I was taken to a doctor at about 4-5. He said it would leave during puberty. It did but came back with a vengence at menopause. So it must be hormonal plus. I get many little brown spots after being in the sun. I noticed they disappear in the winter and when I washed the back of my hands diligently with soap. Adelle Davis says in her nutritional books that cool water washes off D , hot water more and with soap it is all gone. She also says do not wash for 4 hours after being in the sun because you wash off the natural oils which absorbs D into our bodies. I have been taking 5000 units of D3 and a handful of Cod Liver oil caps every day and I am getting brown which stays in the winter. I also do not get cysts anymore which is genetic in my family. So is vitiligo. I also found that people with this, tan more than others -which gives much more contrast, unfortunately.
I have not found a cosmetic which will not rub off but it does cover it quite well - Color Stay by Revlon.

Search Dr Simoncini - he is curing cancer with bicarbonate of soda!!!He says it is a fungus.
Another man is using soda with maple syrup. The sugar is needed by fungus to grow but the soda goes with it and kills the cells-like a lure in a fly trap!

Dear Dr. Kim,

Thank you for being willing to share your thoughts regarding the journey of vitiligo. I'm half Lebanese, live in the desert climate with my husband, and work as a licensed psychotherapist. I've had vitiligo for about 12 years, seen Dr.Pearl Grimes in Los Angeles, taken every vitamin & supplement I can find, and sometimes just feel overwhelmed by the situation. I certainly see people with much, much more devastating health challenges & feel almost foolish complaining about my depigmentaion. But tonight I took a long, hard look at my elbows & armpits, and had a good cry.

The changes I've made in simple things such as the clothing I wear, the exercise I feel comfortable doing in public, the way I sometimes try to hide my hands when new clients come to my office, etc., etc.- are sometimes difficult to calculate. I believe the emotional toll on my self-confidence has been the most obvious. My vitiligo kicked into high gear over a short time when I divorced, lost both my parents in less than a year, and sent the younger of my two children off to college. I absolutely agree with you that sleep is crucial, as is a clean diet. I wonder what other treatment is out there & do believe my vitiligo has made me even more empathetic to clients who come to my office feeling despondent. Once again, thank you for posting your experience with such candor & compassion.

I have had vitiligo since my late 30's, am now in my 50's & YES, I don't feel comfortable w/ my vitiligo, especially on my hands so I use Sally Hansen Light Glow spray, blends in perfectly, waterproof & stays on all day - no one knows I have vitiligo! I am fortunate I don't have it on my face & I am not dark skinned! In the summertime, I spray the Sally Hansen Light glow on my legs, if I wear shorts in public, but I seldom wear shorts in public, so this isn't a problem for me. My vitiligo is not wide-spread, only some on my hands, knees, a few spots on my shins & feet. It hasn't spread for many years, thank God! I have started a regiment of NON gluten foods & very little dairy just a couple of weeks ago & noticed the white areas aren't as WHITE!!! I also take Vit B-12 & Folic Acid & try to keep a stress free life as much as possible.

Why be embarrassed by people looking at your vitiligo when there are means to minimize or not even noticeable. Call it vanity or whatever you want, but I feel better as a person w/o someone staring or asking rude questions.

Hi,
My best friend has Vitiligo and now after all the research I've done, I realize that it could be because of her poor diet and stress. She has a very unhealthy diet (fast food everyday,processed/packaged foods,soda,chips,sugary snacks, etc.). She also NEVER gets enough sleep and is always staying up until 12-5am and then getting up at 7am for school. I am also really worried about her because she gets sick very often. There's never a time when she doesn't at least have a headache or a stomach ache. She even had to get her appendix out a few months ago and almost died because it was almost too late. She continues to eat unhealthy every day even though I try to help her change her diet. My whole family juices raw vegetables and fruits every day and we eat healthy and rarely get sick. I know how amazing it is to be healthy and feel energized, so i want to help her but she's not letting me. Her family is very overweight and they have the same diet as she does, but it doesn't effect them as badly as it effects her. Eating healthy and taking high doses of vitamins would help her Vitiligo as well as her overall health, stress levels, and sleep. I'm really concerned-i don't want my best friend in the emergency room all the time anymore. Does anyone have any advice on how i could help her? Please, it would mean a lot.
Thanks for reading,
Jillian

I can't believe how much your narrative sounds like a page, a chapter from my own life - a book even... It's like we share the same soul...

I always thought it odd that my emotions were different to others - and had to try very hard to tame this volitile beast and keep it at bay --- many times it would take a life of its own and become a roller coaster ride into oblivion... We are indeed kindred spirits --- my vitiligo went away for years and resurfaced a about three years ago - it came back with a vengance... but even during the years when I appeared to be normal, I lived as if thought I was still fully covered by my calico-mottled shell --- I was an introvert... Most of my teens was spent in my bedroom, then church and back - it was only in my early twenties when the vitiligo receded that I began to socialise - well I couldn't stay indoors much when I moved to a beach town --- the atmosphere was charged and was intoxicating and I often found myself inebriated by this new found addiction to life... But I was a hermit crab in this coastal belt and when the fun and sun was over, I always receded into my shell...

I am now 39 - never married --- I used to be a perfect shade of chocolate - but now I am as much vanilla as I am cocoa... I love my shorts and Ts and would often go to malls not covering my vitiligo - the stares are getting to me now - especially the awkward innocence of kids turning to their parents to quite blatant inquisitiveness as to why 'that man' looks like that - some even things my skin is dirty - some thinks I have been burnt --- so at one stage I used cover up make up --- but when my confidence came back --- I got rid of the make up --- I guess the self esteem issues loop from time to time...

Thank You for your article --- it is very re-assuring to see my own life through someone else's experiences --- thank you for the human element and not making vitiligo a mechanical discussion. Thank You for putting yourself into my experience... I feel like I've been sitting in group therapy and I could speak about me to someone like me...

God Bless...

i too have been suffering from vitiligo and this is the greatest challenge i ever have been facing in my life.i really feel embarassing when i go to new places and meet new friends.moreover i really get disturbed by the innocent questions raised by small kids about it.

Hi there, i am Priya and i have vitiligo too. To be honest pretty bad. But due to the blessings I have. My annoying but wonderful family, supportive friends and peers. I even forget that i have it. And trust me i have it pretty much every where visible. But yet in the comfort of love and my self confidence a tragic situation like this can still be so manageable. So i completely agree with you when i say that confidence and just your mentality can make all the difference. I don't know about the whole life style thing but im definitely going to do further research. I think i would like to definitely peruse a career in researching about vitiligo. Your blog has truly touched me. I have never read something quite beautiful and heartful. Thank you.

I came across information about a study done at the University of Maryland. They have proven that vitiligo is connected to gluten. Not linked but a definite connection. An autoimmune response is caused by leaky gut syndrome which stems from gluten intolerance or celiac disease. My vitiligo began more than ten years ago,and followed a diagnosis of thyroid disease. Many believe that all autoimmune diseases are a result of leaky gut syndrome. I went gluten free last summer and had repigmentation in some areas. The combination of Sun and diet seems to work best so when winter hits the progress slows and reverses especially on the hands. This year I will get a lamp made for vitiligo and excema to hopefully continue recovery. I get a lot of Sun as I own a mowing business, and have severely burned my hands to the point of deep blisters. It may be hard to believe but this burning brings back pigment. And of course it fades in the winter. I am now slathering on coconut oil at night to see if this works. Hope this info is helpful.