the best thing about it is that it's permanent, once it's done, you dont have to keep applying . any treatment you use to repigment you will have to continue forever. ask anyone who's stopped, they eventually started depiging again. and in some cases the same treatments didnt wok any more when they tried to pick it back up a few months later.
but you do have to prepare your self to be a different color for the rest of your life (porcelain or ivory), and learn how to avoid sunburns.
Wow this was a long time ago.... hmmm and here I am ... yet another person entering this realm for the first time.... well I still have a looooooot to read so maybe some questions I ask here will be answered when I get a chance to read the rest but why take the chance haahaahaha - jus kidding!
I just went to see a dermatologist abt depigmentation - i'm a "dark skinned" Indian person so my vit definitely stands out...
But I still manage to make it thru my daily life, moving to another continent, finding a new job, making new Aussie friends n going out and socials, having a baby, and abt to do who knows what now.... maybe take over the world bwahahahahaha :D AND without ANY coverup!
I know some ppl out there think i am crazy but in the first few yrs of the 10yrs or so - I have, like most others, been thru it and purchased a few products n treatments. PUVA to dermablend ... normal foundation... SO not all the years lacked any effort - tho it was easier then than now....
A few months ago I got MIcroskin... but I only used it very minimally - ie I cant handle being sprayed on a few shades darker just so I am all one colour and carrying a wierd smelly product on my skin.
Ah well the dermatologist was as unhelpful as 10yrs ago - tho not really that bad!!
She gave me a script for some hydroquine to lighten up face and hands - she hasnt assisted to really depigment anyone with vitiligo before - just repigement!!
So here I am, on the net - the best place to source information and I wont have to pay $105 per consult!
Anyway I got a few things to read..... and was told if I was serious abt the depigmenting I should let her know... which is when I guess she will get on to her internet and start reading up abt it!
I haven't gotten the hydroquine yet.... but maybe I will and test it on an area - or give the pharmacist a call as he is bound to know more abt it and how u use it and whether it is safe to use around other members of my family...
I was just interested in finding out what you guys all have to say......
As I said my vitiligo is OBVIOUS!!! no makeup can completely cover it and when i do try it makes me feel more uncomfortable as I do not like any make up on my skin and barely wore anything before I got this vitiligo at around 23... then to as you all know the rate of the way it spreads is erratic so at different stages - certain minimal applications of makeup used to cover it alright...
Oooooh another thing I must say abt my vit - that the dermatologist said she never saw (then again she didn't really know much abt it so I am afraid it not be so unique) - Apparently my vitligo is fluid... because I told her that I cover up and lose pigment quiet easily..... my face for eg had 70% vitiligo 3 yrs ago and now I have 30%. I tried explaining that it might be because of exposure to the sun etc or some "unknown" factors - SO my other question is...............Does anyone else lose and regain pigment as quickly??
Ah well thank you guys for joining and sharing your story - good luck with ur journeys if i dnt hear from u...
I just got my prescription today and I find myself not as sure as I was when I was searching for a doctor. I want my color back and I fought for many years but lost the battle and I decided that depigmentation was the route I wanted to go. I want to be one color, from feet to head but I am concerned that I may not get the results that I seek. I want to turn my whole body (immediately, of course) but in time I want to be one color because if not, I might as well stay the way I am.
I would love to hear from people who have gone through or am going through the process of depigmentation. I know it is different for every person, but..
1. Why did you decide to do it?
2. Are you happy with the results?
3. What did the doctor say to you about what to expect?
4. How long did it take or how long have you been in the process of depigmenting?
5. Does the color vanish in patches or shades?
6. Did you start with your face/hands/arms... did you see other parts affected?
7. What advice do you have for others who are thinking of going that route?
8. How did your friends, family, co-workers react?
9. What do you know now that you didn't know then, before you started the process of depigmenting?
10. Anybody worry about what they would look like afterwards?
I know its alot of questions and I am not looking for someone to talk me into it... its just that the doctor didn't really make me feel like depigmenting the whole body was possible, or that I shouldn't even expect to depigment the whole body. maybe I just didn't hear him right, maybe he was trying to not get my hopes too high but even if it takes a few years, I want all the color to go if I choose depigmentation.
If anybody has anything thoughts, I would love to hear them.
Thanks!
Ali Marie > Anika SimpsonSeptember 15, 2010 at 7:17pm
1. Why did you decide to do it?
After years of slowwwww growth, followed by a relative plateau, slow growth, etc., my vit started spreading like wildfire a few years ago. I had hidden for so long by staying pale, but it was becoming near impossible to hide.
2. Are you happy with the results?
So far, so good! I only wish it worked faster!
3. What did the doctor say to you about what to expect?
Read my thread about my depigging journey. My doctor is a $*^&ing moron and hasn't so much as glanced at a drug book to even see what monobenzone is. Seeing a new doctor in 2 weeks.
4. How long did it take or how long have you been in the process of depigmenting?
On my "test patch", I am finally seeing the color slowly fading away. However, with the monobenzone in my blood stream, new patches crop up practically daily, and existing patches are spreading rapidly. I have only been at it for about 2 months.
5. Does the color vanish in patches or shades?
Both. In areas where I apply directly, it seems to fade out. In areas I have not applied it to, it vanishes the old fashioned way, only faster.
6. Did you start with your face/hands/arms... did you see other parts affected?
Just one hand (the other hand was all ready fully depigmented on its own). And yes, other parts were definitely effected.
7. What advice do you have for others who are thinking of going that route?
Honestly, it's a personal choice. I contemplated this for the better part of 6 years before finally taking the plunge. My biggest regret is not taking the plunge 6 years ago. That said, this course of action isn't for everyone. It's permanent. I have had the luxury of being able to live my life as a ghost for the last 17 years because I am a very fair skinned Latina. People of other colors have not had the chance to adjust to being so pale, so it may be a shock at first. And my final piece of advice, to quote the Baz Luhrman song, "WEAR SUNSCREEN."
8. How did your friends, family, co-workers react?
I don't know that many co-workers know or really care. I work for my family's business, and many employees are factory workers. My guess is either they don't care about my white patches, or don't want to offend the boss's daughter.
-My friends are all excited for me! That meant a lot. I seek their input on everything from clothes to shoes and handbags, to which they are always brutally honest. If they thought it was a terrible idea, they'd freely say so.
-My family members *seem* supportive. My mom was surprised by my choice, but understood fully, and likes to check my arms and legs for progress.
-My brother was a bit shocked, but understood.
-My dad just doesn't get it. But to put it into perspective, he was always holding out hope for a new treatment or cure. When I was born with a droopy eyelid, the man fired my opthomologist and hired the best plastic surgeon in town to fix me up. I think he still has that "Dad Complex" that with the right combination of love, determination, and money, he can fix this. He still confuses monobenzone with skin lightening creams.
-My paternal aunt has been a lifesaver. She has ALWAYS been sensitive to my insecurities about my vitiligo, among other things. She taught me everything I know about basic skin care, cosmetics, etc. Her biggest concern, before I even announced depigmentation, was what was going on in my body and in my life to cause my vit to spread so rapidly. Once I assured her that much of this was due to a very stressful few years, she really only wanted to make sure that the monobenzone didn't have some long term or permanent side effect that would cause me to regret depigging (ie., 'Will this affect your ability to have kids in the future? Will this affect any internal organs? Does it ever leave your blood stream?').
-My husband supports me as best he can. I think some of it he honestly chalks up to the old girls' adage "Beauty Requires Pain". After my first nasty sunburn in the test area, he helped me find a good sunblock. When I got the bright idea to start applying this to the insides of my elbows (My Logic: Rub it into the arteries, get it into the bloodstream faster) resulted in repeat chemical burns on my skin, he chuckled at my logic and said, "Babe, you've successfully argued a lot of things in our years together. Pretty sure anything resulting in chemical burns has no good explanation."
On the other hand, he sees this in a manner *similar* to my calorie counting in that he thinks I'm beautiful no matter what. But he understands that my insecurity about my vitiligo is WAY different than freaking out about my waistline. He can argue that the average woman's pants size is still bigger than my pants size, but no way he can tell me that most women have vitiligo.
-My father in-law is an oncologist and mother in-law is a nurse. Even pre-depigmentation their big concern was melanoma. Now their big concern is finding me a good doctor (father in-law actually took the time to research monobenzone and didn't see any harm in my usage, but was appalled at my current doctor's liberal prescription-writing). Given their medical background, they see this as less of a cosmetic procedure, and more somewhere between a medical treatment and a science experiment.
9. What do you know now that you didn't know then, before you started the process of depigmenting?
How liberated I would feel. Courtney pegged it dead-on when she ID'ed her main intent as gaining control over her vitiligo. I don't feel like I'm being dragged along for the ride anymore. I feel like I've grabbed the wheel and choose my own destiny.
That said, it's also caused some long buried emotions to crop up. Living pale for so long allowed me to essentially deny my condition. I didn't see a dermatologist for 15 years. My last visit at the age of 12 ended with me crying for the better part of 12 hours. The guy was a jerk and did nothing to let me down gently in explaining that there was no cure. To say that had a lasting impression on me is an understatement. I buried a lot of that, and buried a lot of other emotions regarding other personal problems as well. Depigmentation, which coincided perfectly with a major upheaval in my personal life, has brought EVERYTHING to the surface. I can't hide any of it anymore, and I shouldn't.
10. Anybody worry about what they would look like afterwards?
Only after one sunburn on my hand. The skin kinda dried up and went straight to old lady wrinkles (Temporary!!!), and I freaked and thought that I would be white and wrinkly. Otherwise, if you look at my pictures, I've stayed pasty pale white for years, so this is really only taking me maybe one to two shades lighter in foundation (I'm a MAC NC20, and after test swatching on my right hand, I may have to go down to an NC15or even a pinch lighter at a C10)(if you're not familiar with MAC, get thee to a MAC counter/store!!!! My vit holy grail of foundations and concealers!)
I briefly worried that it might cause my hair to gray, but that's what hair dye is for.
And my biggest post-depigging concern is my nipples. No lie! I've decided I will find the right tattoo artist and have them inked on. I've realized the upside to this is getting to pick which color I want. My true ethnicity may forever remain a secret if I select the right shade of pink. I'm somewhat concerned about my lips as well, but again, I'll tattoo it. Have all ready decided that lips and nipples should probably match, so maybe pick the lip color first...ha!
Replies
Thank you for your reply
I will read it.............
Hi Erica,
My skin doctor said not to do it...............It scares me to do it................it is permanent.............
everybody here seems positive about it.......................
Does it turn your hair gray.........?
the best thing about it is that it's permanent, once it's done, you dont have to keep applying . any treatment you use to repigment you will have to continue forever. ask anyone who's stopped, they eventually started depiging again. and in some cases the same treatments didnt wok any more when they tried to pick it back up a few months later.
but you do have to prepare your self to be a different color for the rest of your life (porcelain or ivory), and learn how to avoid sunburns.
helloooooooo guys!!!
Wow this was a long time ago.... hmmm and here I am ... yet another person entering this realm for the first time.... well I still have a looooooot to read so maybe some questions I ask here will be answered when I get a chance to read the rest but why take the chance haahaahaha - jus kidding!
I just went to see a dermatologist abt depigmentation - i'm a "dark skinned" Indian person so my vit definitely stands out...
But I still manage to make it thru my daily life, moving to another continent, finding a new job, making new Aussie friends n going out and socials, having a baby, and abt to do who knows what now.... maybe take over the world bwahahahahaha :D AND without ANY coverup!
I know some ppl out there think i am crazy but in the first few yrs of the 10yrs or so - I have, like most others, been thru it and purchased a few products n treatments. PUVA to dermablend ... normal foundation... SO not all the years lacked any effort - tho it was easier then than now....
A few months ago I got MIcroskin... but I only used it very minimally - ie I cant handle being sprayed on a few shades darker just so I am all one colour and carrying a wierd smelly product on my skin.
Ah well the dermatologist was as unhelpful as 10yrs ago - tho not really that bad!!
She gave me a script for some hydroquine to lighten up face and hands - she hasnt assisted to really depigment anyone with vitiligo before - just repigement!!
So here I am, on the net - the best place to source information and I wont have to pay $105 per consult!
Anyway I got a few things to read..... and was told if I was serious abt the depigmenting I should let her know... which is when I guess she will get on to her internet and start reading up abt it!
I haven't gotten the hydroquine yet.... but maybe I will and test it on an area - or give the pharmacist a call as he is bound to know more abt it and how u use it and whether it is safe to use around other members of my family...
I was just interested in finding out what you guys all have to say......
As I said my vitiligo is OBVIOUS!!! no makeup can completely cover it and when i do try it makes me feel more uncomfortable as I do not like any make up on my skin and barely wore anything before I got this vitiligo at around 23... then to as you all know the rate of the way it spreads is erratic so at different stages - certain minimal applications of makeup used to cover it alright...
Oooooh another thing I must say abt my vit - that the dermatologist said she never saw (then again she didn't really know much abt it so I am afraid it not be so unique) - Apparently my vitligo is fluid... because I told her that I cover up and lose pigment quiet easily..... my face for eg had 70% vitiligo 3 yrs ago and now I have 30%. I tried explaining that it might be because of exposure to the sun etc or some "unknown" factors - SO my other question is...............Does anyone else lose and regain pigment as quickly??
Ah well thank you guys for joining and sharing your story - good luck with ur journeys if i dnt hear from u...
I would love to hear from people who have gone through or am going through the process of depigmentation. I know it is different for every person, but..
1. Why did you decide to do it?
2. Are you happy with the results?
3. What did the doctor say to you about what to expect?
4. How long did it take or how long have you been in the process of depigmenting?
5. Does the color vanish in patches or shades?
6. Did you start with your face/hands/arms... did you see other parts affected?
7. What advice do you have for others who are thinking of going that route?
8. How did your friends, family, co-workers react?
9. What do you know now that you didn't know then, before you started the process of depigmenting?
10. Anybody worry about what they would look like afterwards?
I know its alot of questions and I am not looking for someone to talk me into it... its just that the doctor didn't really make me feel like depigmenting the whole body was possible, or that I shouldn't even expect to depigment the whole body. maybe I just didn't hear him right, maybe he was trying to not get my hopes too high but even if it takes a few years, I want all the color to go if I choose depigmentation.
If anybody has anything thoughts, I would love to hear them.
Thanks!
After years of slowwwww growth, followed by a relative plateau, slow growth, etc., my vit started spreading like wildfire a few years ago. I had hidden for so long by staying pale, but it was becoming near impossible to hide.
2. Are you happy with the results?
So far, so good! I only wish it worked faster!
3. What did the doctor say to you about what to expect?
Read my thread about my depigging journey. My doctor is a $*^&ing moron and hasn't so much as glanced at a drug book to even see what monobenzone is. Seeing a new doctor in 2 weeks.
4. How long did it take or how long have you been in the process of depigmenting?
On my "test patch", I am finally seeing the color slowly fading away. However, with the monobenzone in my blood stream, new patches crop up practically daily, and existing patches are spreading rapidly. I have only been at it for about 2 months.
5. Does the color vanish in patches or shades?
Both. In areas where I apply directly, it seems to fade out. In areas I have not applied it to, it vanishes the old fashioned way, only faster.
6. Did you start with your face/hands/arms... did you see other parts affected?
Just one hand (the other hand was all ready fully depigmented on its own). And yes, other parts were definitely effected.
7. What advice do you have for others who are thinking of going that route?
Honestly, it's a personal choice. I contemplated this for the better part of 6 years before finally taking the plunge. My biggest regret is not taking the plunge 6 years ago. That said, this course of action isn't for everyone. It's permanent. I have had the luxury of being able to live my life as a ghost for the last 17 years because I am a very fair skinned Latina. People of other colors have not had the chance to adjust to being so pale, so it may be a shock at first. And my final piece of advice, to quote the Baz Luhrman song, "WEAR SUNSCREEN."
8. How did your friends, family, co-workers react?
I don't know that many co-workers know or really care. I work for my family's business, and many employees are factory workers. My guess is either they don't care about my white patches, or don't want to offend the boss's daughter.
-My friends are all excited for me! That meant a lot. I seek their input on everything from clothes to shoes and handbags, to which they are always brutally honest. If they thought it was a terrible idea, they'd freely say so.
-My family members *seem* supportive. My mom was surprised by my choice, but understood fully, and likes to check my arms and legs for progress.
-My brother was a bit shocked, but understood.
-My dad just doesn't get it. But to put it into perspective, he was always holding out hope for a new treatment or cure. When I was born with a droopy eyelid, the man fired my opthomologist and hired the best plastic surgeon in town to fix me up. I think he still has that "Dad Complex" that with the right combination of love, determination, and money, he can fix this. He still confuses monobenzone with skin lightening creams.
-My paternal aunt has been a lifesaver. She has ALWAYS been sensitive to my insecurities about my vitiligo, among other things. She taught me everything I know about basic skin care, cosmetics, etc. Her biggest concern, before I even announced depigmentation, was what was going on in my body and in my life to cause my vit to spread so rapidly. Once I assured her that much of this was due to a very stressful few years, she really only wanted to make sure that the monobenzone didn't have some long term or permanent side effect that would cause me to regret depigging (ie., 'Will this affect your ability to have kids in the future? Will this affect any internal organs? Does it ever leave your blood stream?').
-My husband supports me as best he can. I think some of it he honestly chalks up to the old girls' adage "Beauty Requires Pain". After my first nasty sunburn in the test area, he helped me find a good sunblock. When I got the bright idea to start applying this to the insides of my elbows (My Logic: Rub it into the arteries, get it into the bloodstream faster) resulted in repeat chemical burns on my skin, he chuckled at my logic and said, "Babe, you've successfully argued a lot of things in our years together. Pretty sure anything resulting in chemical burns has no good explanation."
On the other hand, he sees this in a manner *similar* to my calorie counting in that he thinks I'm beautiful no matter what. But he understands that my insecurity about my vitiligo is WAY different than freaking out about my waistline. He can argue that the average woman's pants size is still bigger than my pants size, but no way he can tell me that most women have vitiligo.
-My father in-law is an oncologist and mother in-law is a nurse. Even pre-depigmentation their big concern was melanoma. Now their big concern is finding me a good doctor (father in-law actually took the time to research monobenzone and didn't see any harm in my usage, but was appalled at my current doctor's liberal prescription-writing). Given their medical background, they see this as less of a cosmetic procedure, and more somewhere between a medical treatment and a science experiment.
9. What do you know now that you didn't know then, before you started the process of depigmenting?
How liberated I would feel. Courtney pegged it dead-on when she ID'ed her main intent as gaining control over her vitiligo. I don't feel like I'm being dragged along for the ride anymore. I feel like I've grabbed the wheel and choose my own destiny.
That said, it's also caused some long buried emotions to crop up. Living pale for so long allowed me to essentially deny my condition. I didn't see a dermatologist for 15 years. My last visit at the age of 12 ended with me crying for the better part of 12 hours. The guy was a jerk and did nothing to let me down gently in explaining that there was no cure. To say that had a lasting impression on me is an understatement. I buried a lot of that, and buried a lot of other emotions regarding other personal problems as well. Depigmentation, which coincided perfectly with a major upheaval in my personal life, has brought EVERYTHING to the surface. I can't hide any of it anymore, and I shouldn't.
10. Anybody worry about what they would look like afterwards?
Only after one sunburn on my hand. The skin kinda dried up and went straight to old lady wrinkles (Temporary!!!), and I freaked and thought that I would be white and wrinkly. Otherwise, if you look at my pictures, I've stayed pasty pale white for years, so this is really only taking me maybe one to two shades lighter in foundation (I'm a MAC NC20, and after test swatching on my right hand, I may have to go down to an NC15or even a pinch lighter at a C10)(if you're not familiar with MAC, get thee to a MAC counter/store!!!! My vit holy grail of foundations and concealers!)
I briefly worried that it might cause my hair to gray, but that's what hair dye is for.
And my biggest post-depigging concern is my nipples. No lie! I've decided I will find the right tattoo artist and have them inked on. I've realized the upside to this is getting to pick which color I want. My true ethnicity may forever remain a secret if I select the right shade of pink. I'm somewhat concerned about my lips as well, but again, I'll tattoo it. Have all ready decided that lips and nipples should probably match, so maybe pick the lip color first...ha!
Great questions, BTW!
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