Five misconceptions about vitiligo

Five misconceptions about vitiligo

Some vitiligo patients, due to misunderstandings about vitiligo, are afraid to eat this or do that in their daily lives. I dare not even get married and have children. Actually, there's no need for it. Below are five common misconceptions about vitiligo.

Misconception 1: Vitiligo can be contagious

Vitiligo is not an infectious disease and cannot be transmitted to others through any means. The reason why infectious diseases are contagious is because there is a source of infection called pathogens. Vitiligo is a pigmentary skin disease without any pathogens, so it is not contagious and we can safely come into contact with patients without avoiding them.

Misconception 2: All white patches are vitiligo

Some patients talk about "white" discoloration, and as long as they see white spots or white spots on their skin, they think it is vitiligo, but it is not necessarily the case. Because many other skin diseases also have white spot symptoms, such as depigmented nevi, anemic nevi, pityriasis albuginea, etc. Therefore, the presence of vitiligo does not necessarily mean vitiligo, and further differential diagnosis is needed.

Although vitiligo is not necessarily vitiligo, patients should not ignore it. Because vitiligo can easily spread, wouldn't it miss the opportunity for treatment if it were vitiligo? Therefore, regardless of the type of vitiligo, it must be taken seriously and efforts should be made to achieve early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

Misconception 3: Descendants of vitiligo also suffer from vitiligo

Although vitiligo is hereditary in families, it may not necessarily be passed down to the next generation. Because the onset of vitiligo is determined by both internal genetics and external environmental factors. That is to say, even if you carry relevant genes, as long as you take preventive and nursing measures in the later stage, avoid various triggering factors, white spots will not appear. Vitiligo symptoms can only occur when both internal and external factors coexist. The external environmental factors referred to here refer to the triggering factors that can easily lead to the onset of vitiligo, such as exposure to sunlight, trauma (including scratches, burns, frostbite, surgical injuries, etc.), friction and pressure, mental anxiety, overwork, staying up late, chemical stimulation, cosmetic allergies, environmental pollution, etc. In short, vitiligo patients can get married and have children, and they can also have healthy babies themselves. However, in order to reduce the genetic risk, it is advisable not to marry a spouse who is also a vitiligo patient.

Misconception 4: Vitiligo patients should not eat tomatoes

Many vitiligo patients pay more attention to dietary taboos, especially foods rich in vitamin C such as tomatoes and oranges. This is often misled by past perceptions.

Previous studies have shown that excessive vitamin C can affect the activity of tyrosinase, thereby hindering the production of melanin. But this only occurs when there is an excess of vitamin C. With the continuous deepening and improvement of medical research, recent studies have shown that vitamin C has little effect on vitiligo.

Therefore, whether from the perspective of nutritional balance or the latest scientific research results, vitiligo patients do not need to avoid all foods rich in vitamin C. After all, it is an essential nutrient for ensuring human growth and development. It is necessary to supplement vitamin C appropriately for physical health and growth and development, as long as a balanced diet is sufficient, there is no need to completely ban it.

Misconception 5: Vitiligo cannot be cured

Because vitiligo is prone to recurrence, some patients feel that vitiligo cannot be cured. Some patients lack patience and give up treatment if no effect is seen after a period of time, so they also believe that vitiligo cannot be cured. In fact, this is just some one-sided and erroneous understanding of vitiligo patients.

Although vitiligo is a chronic skin disease, it is not incurable. Most vitiligo (especially early white spots and head and facial white spots) can be cured through scientific and standardized treatment, but the recovery period varies depending on the condition. In clinical practice, we have many successful treatment cases like this.

In short, for the treatment of vitiligo, mentality is very important. Pessimistic and negative emotions are not conducive to the recovery of diseases. I hope patients have a correct understanding of vitiligo, do not have a wrong perception of vitiligo just because they believe some rumors, and do not give up treatment before trying.