Vitiligo is a disorder of skin pigmentation characterized by progressively widening areas of depigmented (very white) skin. Vitiligo sometimes runs in families, meaning that a genetic factor may be involved. Vitiligo sometimes occurs at the site of an old injury. The phenomenon is associated with the local destruction of melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin pigment to darken the skin. It affects 1 - 4% of the world's population. It has been more accepted that patients with vitiligo are sensitive to free radicals and need aggressive vitamin therapy, in addition to a topical treatment plan.
I added UVA (tanning salon) treatments to my regimen. I go every other day. I bought antivitiligo oil (antivitiligo.com- do not add oil to the web address) for my topical treatment and dermabest novitil. I did not reorder the antivitiligo oil (not because I didn’t think works because I believe with light treatments it does work). It was too expensive so I bought bakuchi oil (babchi is another spelling) and will see how that works and if not, I will go back to antivitiligo oil.
I am starting my 3rd month of UVA light and it is going well. I saw results with UVB narrowband at the dermatologist 3 times a week but when I lost my health insurance, I had to find an alternative. I am excited by the results of UVA. It is promising. Lots of freckling! YEAH! I started 5/20/09.
NOTE: I haven’t exposed my face to the UVA yet. I will wait to see significant results on the other parts of my body first. I will post pics soon. Before and After…
That is where my quest to add a vitamin regimen to a topical treatment meets. This will be my fourth month on the vitamins. I started 4/28/09.
My Vitiligo Vitamin/Supplement List
GliSODin: Minimize cell destruction caused by oxidative stress (catalase enzyme)
• Support healthy immune function
• Reduce skin damage caused by UV radiant
Bioperine: Piperine, the alkaloid in black pepper responsible for its pungency, stimulated the
proliferation of melanocytes in cell cultures. The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine. Bioperine is a standardized extract of piperine. Piperine may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor potential. Black Pepper fruit extract with 95 percent piperine.
PABA: Another early report described the use of PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid)_a compound
that is commonly associated with B-complex vitamins. Persistent use of 100 mg of PABA three or four times per day along with an injectable form of PABA and a variety of hormones tailored to individual patients' needs, resulted, in many cases, in repigmentation of areas affected by vitiligo. PABA is important to skin health, hair and skin pigment and intestinal health. Used externally as a sunscreen, it can also protect against the development of sunburn and skin cancer from excess ultraviolet light exposure.
St. John’s Wort: may increase the response to the vitiligo affected areas to sunlight.
Milk Thistle: helps with maintaining a healthy liver and the proper processing of many
nutrients
B12 & Folic Acid: Abnormally low levels of Vitamin B12, Folic Acid and Vitamin C are found
in a large number of vitiligo patients. I take a monthly injection because I also have an illness that seems related to vitiligo (pernicious anemia) and B12 isn’t absorbed well through my stomach so I also take a sublingual B12 supplement in hopes that helps somewhat to the injections because without health insurance- it can be costly.
Neem tablets: Neem has been a major blood tonic and blood purifier in the systems of medicine
found in India and Pakistan. It is believed to remove toxins from the blood and promote a healthy circulation. Neem also can oxidize the blood to promote healing.
Liquid kelp (iodine): may be useful because vitiligo has been linked to thyroid issues (either
low thyroid function or overactive thyroid problem). You should have this tested by a doctor because iodine is needed for proper thyroid function and too much can cause the thyroid to not function correctly. Be very careful.
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA): is a vitamin-like antioxidant, sometimes referred to as the “universal
antioxidant” because it is soluble in both fat and water. People with vitiligo is believed to have lots of free radicals and because of the light treatments and increased cancer risk- it is good to take many forms of anti-oxidants.
Omega 3-6-9 oil capsules: Scientists have also found that fish oil containing EPA can limit the
damage to the skin produced by overexposure to the sun and help to reduce the negative effect of UV rays. Essential Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are known to play a critical role in promoting healthy skin. They help to regulate cellular function and maintain elasticity and suppleness in the skin.
Probiotics: Promotes a healthy intestinal tract (just good to take with or without vitiligo)
Sea Aloe: Liquid multivitamin supplement (You need to take a good multivitamin)
I added these within the last 2 weeks.
L-phenylalanine & L-tyrosine: Supplementation with the amino acid L-phenylalanine may
have value when combined with ultraviolet (UVA) radiation therapy. L-phenylalanine, found naturally in protein-rich foods such as beef, poultry, pork, milk, eggs and soy, is converted by the body into another amino acid, L-tyrosine. L-tyrosine is responsible for the creation of certain proteins, thyroid hormones, and brain chemicals including dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Low levels of these neurotransmitters have been associated with poor mood and poor memory. L-Phenylalanine may promote emotional well-being and help support memory. It is also an amino acid that helps create melanin- very much needed for sufferers of vitiligo.
I have no added this supplement yet- I may in the immediate future
Hydrochloride acid: As noted above, vitiligo is sometimes associated with pernicious anemia.
Pernicious anemia in turn is often linked to low levels of stomach gastric acid, a condition called achlorhydria.18 For this reason, some physicians specializing in natural medicine recommend supplemental hydrochloric acid (HCl, often in the form of betaine hydrochloride) to augment low gastric acid. (I have pernicious anemia)
I take these supplements in no specific regimen. I take them all in the morning before I go to work and I take them again at night before I go to bed. I am on no time schedule, with food or without food kinda thing. That would be too time consuming and way more scheduling than I need for me to keep up with the regimen. I make it simple. I have had no adverse affects. I am very happy about that.
I take everything twice except the probiotics, alpha lipoic acid and PABA. The liquid kelp I take once weekly.
I believe diet changes are beneficial but something I am not very willing to do right now. It would probably be helpful to my vitiligo and help me lose weight but for me I am trying to add more fruits and vegetables to my diet. I love fried foods, creamy sauces, gravy, and alcohol. :)
I added this organic fruit and vegetable drinks/smoothies. They can be expensive but for me, right now, that is how I am going to introduce more vegetables in my diet. I love vegetables but I could eat more of them so this is how I have chosen to add them. I like fruit but they are sweet especially the juices (not a big fan of too too sweet stuff) so I stick with the vegetables juices (and not just V8- I don’t like V8) that have fruit juice in them. The first ingredient in the ones I drink are apple juice- so that is a huge taste factor and with all the other ingredients, the sweetness is tamed down for me.
This was a process for me. I read lots of other people’s experiences, looked at what they did, how they changed their lives, their testimonies, their progress and did the research and found something that (THANK GOD) works for me, that I see results, that I can afford financially and time-wise and something I feel I can stick with long term without making too drastic of changes in my life. In a life that is already racked with stress, insecurity and uncertainly due to this crazy disorder.
I hope my experiences work for somebody. If there are any questions or comments, remember I am no doctor or herbalist, so please be kind. I decided for me, I wasn’t ready to give up. I plan to fight this because I know there is something that works. There is a rhyme to this reason; I’m just looking for the right notes! I will come back and I will reclaim my life. Happy repigmenting!
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Nice to see you with such a attitude and plan. How are you doing now?
How is the above treatment helping you ? Can you please advice?
I was actually searching on one of the gel I had recently got which is "Vitibex-Gel" (consists Phenylalanine 10%) and when i searched to find anyone using it ..got your article...
Thanks for the post. Good luck with your regime and I hope you continue to re-pigment. Do keep us posted on your progress as it's great to hear a positive story! Always very inspiring! I too am fighting as I believe it will, in time, pay off. Gem :)
Replies
Hi Anika,
Nice to see you with such a attitude and plan. How are you doing now?
How is the above treatment helping you ? Can you please advice?
I was actually searching on one of the gel I had recently got which is "Vitibex-Gel" (consists Phenylalanine 10%) and when i searched to find anyone using it ..got your article...
-Sathish