2-It's only triggered in people that has genetic predisposition (either inheritance mechanisms or fetal DNA formation). That's the PRIMARY cause.

3-One or more systematic Secondary causes have to be present too, like: oxidative stress, physical trauma and friction and psychological/emotional stress.

4-This genetic predisposition can be triggered by an internal or external severe event (physical, emotional, psychological, and environmental).

5-The following list is a mandatory pre-checking (please see a Doctor), these usually trigger different types of vitiligo, other than NSV.

-Hypothyroidism

-Hashimoto disease

-Food allergies

-Celiac disease

-Leaky gut

-Dysbiosis (candida, yeast, h-pylori, parasites)

-Adrenal fatigue

-Liver toxicity

-Lead contamination

NSV Universal Protocol Suggestion

You can start treating vitiligo from the outside (skin) at any time, however it might be a waste of time and money if you don't check item 5 (list above).

Ater making sure that item 5 list is checked and/or fixed, it will be time to start a good treatment.

A good treatment has to combine a lot of actions, like: avoid phisical traumas and friction, reduce oxidative stress with anti-oxidants, balance pysichological and emotional issues, change lifestyle, follow UVB-NB phototherapy, take nutritional supplementation, take anti-oxidants, apply topical creams (Elidel, Protopic and Pseudocatalase), and follow a good diet if necessary (e.g., gluten-free, dairy-free).

QUICK EXPLANATION OF EACH ITEM:

-Physical trauma means: systematic friction, injuries, itches, scratches, allergies, sun burns, impacts, violent moves, hits, punches, kicks, etc.

-Oxidative stress means excess of free radicals. It must be reduced by taking anti-oxidant pills.

-Pysichological and emotional issues are systematic behaviours as: if you are a person who is feeling completely out of place, you feel that you are no one in the group or you have no sense of belonging, if you are a ” yes-but” person and are never satisfied with what you have / how you look / what you are, if you feel that there is lack of joy in your life, etc.

-A good lifestyle aims less stress hormones production, which play a big role in vitiligo.

More about stress hormones...

-UVB-NB improves cell adhesion, so that melanocytes integrin gets stronger.

-Nutritional supplementation includes vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

-Elidel and Protopic have a moderate success in "fighting" against MIA (not neutralizing it). Already said in the home page, the reason why these creams help is unkown, but it seems that either they help by interfering with the breaking of adhesion molecules or they may enhance the production of adhesion molecules in the basal membrane.

-Pseudocatalase breaks harmful hydrogen peroxide accumulated in the skin follicles by oxidative stress, into water and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide causes vacuolation in epidermal melanocytes and keratinocytes, as well as, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial DNA mutation, and unbalance of epidermal 4a-OH-tetrahydrobiopterin dehydratase activities.

-Diet is necessary if confirmed by an allergy test.

-Last but not least, all these items above aim to stop vitiligo spreading. It may also shrink some patches, but remember that while MIA is there, melanocytes adhesion (integrin) will be a permanent target. Dr. Matteo Bordignon is actually trying to develop a cure based on the inhibition of this MIA protein. We really hope it will be available as soon as possible.

UNIVERSAL PROTOCOL (dosages should be discussed with your Doctor):

1- 9W UVB-NB Phototherapy 2x a week (expose each patch separately)

2- Supplementation Suggestion:

- Selenium (by GNC)

- Zinc (by GNC)

- Copper (by GNC)

- Fish Oil - Omega 3 (any mercury-free brand)

- Probiotics (by Pure Encapsulations)

- Complex-B with at least B6, B12, and Folate (by GNC)

- Vitamin E (by GNC)

- Vitamin D3 - Cholecalciferol (by GNC)

- Beta Carotene with mix of carotenoids (by Pure Encapsulations)

3- Additional Anti-Oxidants:

- R Lipoic Acid (stabilized) (by Pure Encapsulations)

- L-Glutammine Powder (by Nutrabio)

- L-Cysteine Powder ou N-Acetyl Cysteine (by Nutrabio)

- L-Methionine Powder (by Nutrabio)

- Grape Seed (by GNC)

- Polypodium Leucotomos / FernCare (by BioPower)

4- Topical Creams:

- Protopic 2x a day on face patches.

- Elidel 1x a day on the other patches.

- Apply Pseudocatalase 2x a day (before 9AM and after 5PM). Then wait 15 minutes and take a 10 minute sun bath or 30 second UVB-NB phototherapy session (talk to a doctor before any phototherapy). Avoid Pseudocatalase cream on the spots that are being treated with Protopic (either one or the other).

5- Drink a 8 oz of green juice daily (green apple or kiwi, spinach, celery, broccoli, collard, watercress, and kale).

6- If you are not able to do a food allergy test, follow at least a gluten-free diet.

Keep in Mind (Seriously)

Assuming that you have checked / fixed all the mandatory pre-checking (item 5 in "Before Starting"), you will have to start focusing the most likely causes that take place when vitiligo has already been triggered. They are hard to deal with.

1-Physical trauma => friction, injuries, itches, scratches, allergies, sun burns, impacts, violent moves, hits, punches, kicks, etc.

2-Oxidative stress => lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, ROS, and mitochondrial DNA mutation.

3-Strees hormones => generated by pysichological and emotional systematic stress.

All together stimulate the generation of MIA that detaches melanocytes and cause white patches (www.researchforvitiligo.com).

Avoid them as much as possible!

More details at:

www.vitiligomap.com