Vitiligo - Can Homeopathy Avert It?

People suffering from Vitiligo have patches of discolored skin on face, limbs, and body. Though the condition is neither life-threatening nor contagious, the unsightly patches may beget emotional stress. 

Vitiligo may also affect hair, inside of mouth and eyes. It may turn a portion of hair white, discolor a part of the mouth and change the natural colour of eyes. 

There is traditional treatment for this disease, but the outcome is often unpredictable. Such treatment may also cause serious side effects. Homeopathy may treat this condition successfully. In fact, a study has shown that homeopathy may be quite effective in the early stages of Vitiligo. 

Vitiligo

Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition characterized by destruction of epidermal melanin cells, leading to loss of skin pigment. It affects about 2% of the population. Both men and women are likely to suffer from this condition. It mostly develops between the ages of 10 and 30. However, in some people, it may also show up around the age of 40.

Causes

The apparent reason for the disease is the destruction of melanocytes; cells that impart colour to the skin. An autoimmune condition is considered to be responsible for this. An overactive immune system may turn upon the melanocytes and destroy them.  

Symptoms 

Sporadic loss of skin color throughout the body including hair and eyes. 
One may start losing skin colour quickly in several areas of the body simultaneously. 
Places like armpits and areas that were previously injured are commonly affected by discolouration.  

Treatment 
Doctors resort to re-pigmenting by UV light, skin lightening, and even skin graft. Even if such treatment is successful, there is no guarantee that the patches will not return. Such treatment often entails the risk of side effects.
Homeopathic treatment rarely has any side effect. More and more people are turning to homeopathy for the treatment of Vitiligo. 

Homeopathic Treatment of Vitiligo

For people suffering from Vitiligo, it is a war on two fronts, and homeopathy has the distinction of fighting such wars. 
Since Vitiligo is most probably an autoimmune condition, patients need a constitutional remedy to prevent the immune system from attacking skin cells. 
They also need to fight the skin discoloration so that the skin can get back some of its lost colour.  
A study conducted on 14 patients to assess the effect of homeopathy on Vitiligo has yielded very positive results. In this study, patients were subjected to customized homeopathic treatment. Patients in the early stages of Vitiligo were found to respond positively to homeopathic treatment. 

Conclusion
Traditional treatment for Vitiligo is time-consuming, expensive and entails side effects. Moreover, the condition may relapse after a complete or partial cure. Homeopathy may offer complete or partial relief permanently since it offers both constitutional and symptomatic remedy.