Impact Supports- Vitiligo Doesn’t Define Me Moment

“I used to manage track and field at my high school, swim, bike, and play music at concerts,” Jyoti, a junior at St. Jose High School, CA, said to people of Impact Health Care. However, she stopped participating in most of those activities as she had vitiligo, which happened when she was thirteen. “During a period when I was eager to travel, discover new things, and enjoy myself, vitiligo destroyed my confidence, self-worth, and standard of living,” she continued.

Jyoti’s experience is similar to many vitiligo patients, which affects about 3 million people of all races in Africa, or somewhat less than 1% of the population. The white spots are the result of the disorder killing off pigment cells in the body. Even while vitiligo is not fatal, it frequently has a severe psychological effect that can result in despair, anxiety, and in some cases, suicide in certain societies.

Jyoti can identify. She remembers being happier, having many friends, and wanting to make others laugh all of her early years. However, she found it difficult to interact as the discolouration on her chin, neck, and shoulders became more noticeable. As no one else in her family knew what was causing her skin condition, she was unaware of it.

Her initial diagnosis was for pityriasis alba, a common skin disorder that causes hypopigmentation in areas that are left red and scaly. She eventually got an accurate diagnosis of vitiligo while receiving treatment from a dermatologist.

Jyoti started treating her skin with topical creams and narrow-band UVB phototherapy, but the results were patchy. Like many vitiligo patients, she and her family spent years looking for a suitable cure, but they were never successful.