Last Updated on 31st January 2020 by Caroline Haye
A real vitiligo cure is the holy grail
As far as mainstream medicine is concerned, current vitiligo treatments focus on the symptoms rather than the causes of the condition. This approach is fine, as far as it goes. After all, white patches – the obvious symptom of vitiligo – are the main problem. In fact, as far as many vitiligo sufferers are concerned, they are the only problem. No white spots = no more problem. However, there is more to vitiligo than that, as ongoing research confirms. There are genetic, neural, hormonal, autoimmune and environmental aspects to the condition. Not to mention the social and psychologicals dimensions. Then there is that eternal question, is it better to treat the symptom or correct the cause? In other words, vitiligo treatment versus cure.
Of course this is a hypothetical question. I’m not a doctor or scientist. So I’m in no position to choose. And, in reality, the researchers themselves may not have the luxury of choosing either. They are just looking for any way they can find to help people regain their skin colour.
But, as someone who has treated (not cured) her vitiligo with a high degree of success using nutrition and sunlight, I have an understandable interest in natural therapies. And it seems to me that these more often deal with the underlying causes of conditions, rather than purely on the visible symptoms… Which is probably why they tend to take longer to work… but are usually kinder than drugs and possibly also more permanent in their results.
The trouble with treating symptoms alone
The drawbacks of focusing purely on symptoms, in my personal opinion, are these:
- It does not take into account that depigmentation of the skin is just an outward sign of other underlying health issues. (The truth about vitiligo is that it’s complicated);
- A permanent cure is unlikely to result because the root causes will remain;
- Current vitiligo treatments only seem to deliver partial and inconsistent results. For many people, no visible results at all;
- It is only ever likely to have short-term success. Because, all too often, once treatment stops the condition recurs. (I suppose that is the essential difference between a treatment and a cure).
I’m not saying the available treatments are not worth trying. Far from it. I think everyone should be as proactive as possible in dealing with their health. But I do think the emphasis should be on getting to the real source of the problem and fixing that. Because only then can you be confident of improving your overall condition and getting rid of your white patches permanently.
Is there an alternative?
Of course, getting to the real source of each individual’s vitiligo is the holy grail. If anyone knew how to do that the drug companies would be getting even richer. There would be no need for vitiligo support groups. And I wouldn’t be endlessly blogging on the subject. But the breakthrough still seems to be some way off. And I suspect that when it arrives, it will come piecemeal… In instalments… Because there will need to be a variety of cures to address what appears to be a variety of causes.
Because of my own experiences, I will always be a fan of natural therapies wherever possible. And I would love to think that there could be a safe and natural cure for vitiligo… One that addressed its underlying causes. I’d love to see a therapy that cured the person,rather than treating the symptoms. But, ultimately, every step forward towards the goal of restoring skin colour for those living with vitiligo has to be a good thing.
Although I consider myself to have been extremely lucky to have almost randomly come across a nutritional regime that actually worked for me… One that has almost eradicated my white patches and restored my natural skin colour by around 98%… I still consider this to be a treatment as opposed to a cure. Because I have yet to achieve 100% success and I am absolutely convinced that if I were to drop the nutritional supplementation the vitiligo would return. So, while I am very glad not to have had any relapse since repigmenting back in 2010 and am, in fact, still seeing improvements in the last remaining areas of uneven pigment, I am as keen as anyone to hear the good news that I am sure will one day be the topic of this blog – a real cure for vitiligo.
