I have Vitiligo! I first noticed it nearly two years ago when I was a Tent leader for a week on a church kids camp. For some reason that I don’t quite understand, there is a greater contrast between the normal tanned patches of skin and those that have lost the pigment when seen in light that comes through a curtain, or as was the case at Camp Awesome, through the canvas of a large marquee.
It started as small patches on my hands, which have steadily grown across my knuckles and are now making their way down my fingers. I also have some new patches on the back of my hands, on my left calf just below the knee and on my face, where my stubble has started to grow white.
And…silly me, I have sunburn on my hands because I can’t be bothered to put sun cream on. Oops! Did I mention the increased risk of Skin Cancer…? Had better do something about that.
According to The Vitiligo Society One person in every one hundred has it and this is true across the world. No one really knows what the cause is, but the many theories range from a genetic link to the body’s own immune system attacking the pigment cells in the skin.
There are no symptoms other than the change in skin colour, however this in itself can have a psychological impact when found on the more visible areas of the body, such as the face. This is especially true for those from ethnic groups with darker skin, who can feel a loss of identity.
Famous people with Vitiligo include Michael Jackson, Richard Hammond and Yvette Fielding.
Personally, I have been asked many times if I have dipped my hands in bleach or if I've been badly burned. I’d rather people ask me about it than stare in ignorance, which is always the best way I think. But then I always try to be open about stuff like that; it worked when I had Testicular Cancer, that was a hoot!!
Sun cream! It's also worth noting that on most people it tends to be symmetrical, so watch out for below your right knee too!
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