The appearance of white spots on the skin is known as leucoderma or Vitiligo disease. This is a skin disease that is quite rare. Leucoderma is often mistaken for leprosy. In this condition, the skin begins to lose its color producing pigment called melanin. The production of the melanin begins to cease since the melanocytes, small cells in the skin that product melanin, get affected. The occurrence of leucoderma usually begins with a small patch and eventually grows and affects the skin over the entire body. This skin disease is not contagious; however, the exact causes of it are still not known.
After numerous studies, the potential causes have been narrowed down to emotional stress, worms, heredity, and even over exposure of skin to the sun. Leucoderma can often get aggravated due to certain diseases like the diabetes mellitus, anemia, hyperthyroidism, and even Addison’s disease.
Leucoderma can be prevented by taking some simple precautions. Some of these are as follows.
- Stress should be avoided as much as possible since it is a potential cause for this disorder. If you want, you can join a yoga class or meditate at home to help you relax.
- Use mild or moisturizer-based soaps while bathing.
- Get up early every morning and expose your body to the first light of the morning. Everyday, for 20 to 30 minutes bathe your body in the sun.
- Cosmetics that are expired, or that are very harsh on the skin, should be totally avoided.
- Food rich in iron should be eaten. If you are vegetarian, include beans and legumes in your diet. For non-vegetarians, meat and liver contain good amounts of iron.
Some home remedies for treating leucoderma have been given below.
- Store water in a copper vessel and keep it overnight. In the morning, drink this water.
- Juice of ginger should be consumed since it helps stimulate the flow of blood to the affected skin.
- Include a handful of figs in every meal that you eat.
- Dry a few peels of the pomegranate plant and grind them so that they become powdery. Mix about a teaspoon of this powder with fresh water and drink this every morning.
- Walnuts, if eaten regularly, can help cure leucoderma.
- Mix some cucumber juice with alfalfa and drink it every morning.
- Butter milk is extremely useful in the treatment of leucoderma.
- Get a plant of basil, along with roots, and clean it well. Boil the entire plant in half a liter of water mixed with oil. Keep boiling till the water completely evaporates, and only the oil is left. Mash the plant completely and strain to get the oil. This basil oil when applied on the patch can be very useful.
answered by M W