Vitiligo Beauties. Many shades of uniqueness

  Some are dark skinned, others fair skinned and some of us have the privilege of being both. To me that’s special and I term those of us who fall into this category vitiligo beauties. Today, 25th of June is tagged world Vitiligo day and as someone who has some vitiligo patches, I chose to share my experience and that of some others.

Photo credit. @la_illustration on instagram

   Technically  vitiligo isn’t having a fair and a dark skin , it’s when patches of skin loose their pigmentation, these patches appear white and hair follicles in affected areas tend to appear white too.  Vitiligo affects both dark skinned and fair skinned people. These patches can be located on any part of the body and be of any size too.
 

Photo credit. Google images

Vitiligo is a skin disease that leaves a sufferer with an uneven skin tone, hypopigmented lesions amidst the person original skin tone. In a  world that has a stereotype for the word beautiful, it can be quite tough for those with the disease to blend in. Those ignorant of the disease tend to see  sufferers as natures freaks and the fear of it being  contagious is rife. Newsflash, Vitiligo isn’t a communicable disease, no one can contract it by coming in contact with one who has it.
 
   As a little girl running around the house without the knowledge of what it meant to have an even skin tone, I never cared if a part of my skin was shades lighter than other parts. The  particular spot it started from was pinched so hard by my dad because he wanted to be sure I could feel pain at that spot. He was hoping I haven’t picked up leprosy which presents with hypopigmented lesions and loss of sensation. Vitiligo doesn’t present with loss of sensations. My mum on the other hand was worried about the future, she didn’t want a child with different shades of skin colour, who will become a recluse because of the stigma attached most times.
    Doctor shopping commenced, trying of different topical medications couldn’t be avoided and application of herb extracts that are most times sticky despite knowing there was no known cure became the order of the day. However, repigmentation does occur sometimes with aid of steroids and  turnover of new skin cells.
   
     My case is a little bit different from the experiences of other sufferers in the vitiligo support group (yes we have a support group and I totally subscribe). I was never stigmatized at least not to my knowledge. The soles of my feet are  white and rather than make fun of me, I had people who loved and wished to have  it because my feet always appeared clean. The vitiligo patch present on my lips made friends who wished for pink lips like it. Their reactions were quite strange and I had to repeatedly explain that it was a medical condition. There were those who always asked me if I got burnt by hot oil and I my response, ”No, How does one get scalded by hot oil , affecting the lips and feet excluding other parts of the body?” leaves them more confused and this is followed by a lengthy explanation. To be candid, granting these explanations can be so tiring but then they get to know I ain’t a freak of nature. I feel bad when I read about the experiences of other sufferers, some were tagged witches or  wizards, others were treated like they suffered from a life threatening condition and the worst is when people tell their kids not to have a handshake with sufferers for fear of contracting the disease.
I have seen people who have to battle with the stigma and rejection leaving their self esteem in shambles. Some are scared of going into an emotional relationship because of the fear of rejection which should not be.  The affectation of the psychological and emotional well being is more pronounced when these patches appear on exposed areas like the face and hands.
 

Photo credit. @antoniodjanikian on instagram

 
   This may sound odd, I actually love my vitiligo patches, its part of who I am now. You may term it a coping mechanism but it works for me.  I see it as been unique, and if we all get to sample our feet, I always get to stand out. I mean, who doesn’t want to stand out in a crowd.
   To those who have vitiligo like me, I want you all to know ,we are beautiful no matter our skin colour or uneven skin tone. Vitiligo may have no cure but we don’t care cause it can be managed. Use your sunscreen and find a support group closest to you, when there is a new development you would most likely hear first from such groups. If those around give you that condescending look, raise your shoulders like kings and Queens,make them realise it isn’t easy to be extraordinary and be amongst the 1% of people with vitiligo globally.