Hi all,
Reading all these discussions and seeing the photos I realise that I'm so lucky to have a really white skin so that vitiligo doesn't show that much not even in summer. My hands are nearly completely whitened by vitiligo so they are almost 'normal'. Just my arms and torso has spots, and I'm not showing that to everybody :) I have some grey hairs but that doesn't bother me.
I can imagine that a lot of people have problems with vitiligo. If there is someone who has the same perspective as me, please let me know.
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Hi Matt, thanks for your reply on this discussion. First of all, I want to let you know that I have Vit in my face (on the front and on my throat) but it's not showing a lot.
I wanted to start a discussion of people not having any big problems with vitiligo, this can also be read by other people so they might be a bit more positif about is. What I'm not understanding is that you refer to cancer (which is a lifethreating problem). I understand that Vit can bring a lot of problems in a social environment, or even a big problem with UV light and sunburn, but it will not kill you.
Maybe the title isn't that well chosen, but maybe it is... I did end the title with a question mark: is it a big problem, or isn't it as big as that?? I'm very curious.
Hi Sander, I apologize I assumed you didn't have Vitiligo spots on your face. I did preface my melanoma analogy by saying "While it's not the same severity" because I do understand Vitiligo is not directly life-threatening. I guess my point is each person handles the social discomfort differently so while it may not be a problem for you, it's a very real, and dangerous problem for others. The depression shared by many sufferers is potentially life-threatening.
I share your feelings that my Vitiligo hasn't stopped me from doing anything I've wanted to in life and isn't a problem at all. However, I can't say that if I had very visible Vitiligo as a youth I would have the same attitude and confidence. Would I have had the confidence to approach the beautiful woman that is now my wife if I had white spots on my face? With everything else I dealt with growing up I can assure you I would not have had the confidence... at least not without a lot of support and a lot of self-reflection on what is important.
While I can understand and relate to your point, I don't think you're in the same position as the people with Vit on their face. I only have Vit on my knee and my hip and I can't fully appreciate the amount of social discomfort experienced by people with more visible Vitiligo. Even people that know me really well have no idea I have Vitiligo because it is hidden by clothing.
Be careful because I'm taking your subject "Vitiligo not so big a problem?" as a question whether other people don't have as severe a case of Vitiligo as others rather than a statement that Vitiligo isn't a problem. While it's not the same severity, you wouldn't go on a cancer support group if you had minor melanoma removed successfully and say, "cancer not so big a problem?"
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it's just on my left biceps...,
I wanted to start a discussion of people not having any big problems with vitiligo, this can also be read by other people so they might be a bit more positif about is. What I'm not understanding is that you refer to cancer (which is a lifethreating problem). I understand that Vit can bring a lot of problems in a social environment, or even a big problem with UV light and sunburn, but it will not kill you.
Maybe the title isn't that well chosen, but maybe it is... I did end the title with a question mark: is it a big problem, or isn't it as big as that?? I'm very curious.
I share your feelings that my Vitiligo hasn't stopped me from doing anything I've wanted to in life and isn't a problem at all. However, I can't say that if I had very visible Vitiligo as a youth I would have the same attitude and confidence. Would I have had the confidence to approach the beautiful woman that is now my wife if I had white spots on my face? With everything else I dealt with growing up I can assure you I would not have had the confidence... at least not without a lot of support and a lot of self-reflection on what is important.
Be careful because I'm taking your subject "Vitiligo not so big a problem?" as a question whether other people don't have as severe a case of Vitiligo as others rather than a statement that Vitiligo isn't a problem. While it's not the same severity, you wouldn't go on a cancer support group if you had minor melanoma removed successfully and say, "cancer not so big a problem?"