Disease 3: Vitiligo
This autoimmune disease primarily affects the skin but can also affect hair and the inside of the mouth...
Let's move on to the third disease this website is about; vitiligo.
Vitiligo is a chronic skin condition that causes loss of skin color in patches. The total area of skin that is affected differs from person to person and can range from smaller patches; the size of a lime or larger ones the size of a lemon.
It is one of the many auto-immune conditions and in this scenario, a pigment in the skin called melanin ceases to be produced. This is as a result of a mistake attack on the melanocytes; melanin producing cells by the immune system.
Did you know that vitiligo affects 70 million people across the globe; not pertaining to a particular race, ethnic group or gender?
Although this looks like something to have qualms about, this is not necessarily so. Truth of the matter is, vitiligo just like any other autoimmune condition is not contracted neither is it contagious but, the real issue comes with the stigma that is enough to reduce people's self-esteem and general psychological well being. The stigma conforms them to a "nut shell" and they find it very difficult to come out and show the world what they are truly made of.
Modern day research points to factors such as stress and sunburn as vitiligo triggering factors, though this theory is yet to be proven.
Vitiligo just like any other autoimmune disease, has no cure for now but one thing is for sure; having vitiligo doesn't make you any less better or beautiful than any other person out there. It makes you different; unique to be precise.
"Beauty isn't in the face; beauty is a light in the heart"
Let's move on to the third disease this website is about; vitiligo.
Vitiligo is a chronic skin condition that causes loss of skin color in patches. The total area of skin that is affected differs from person to person and can range from smaller patches; the size of a lime or larger ones the size of a lemon.
It is one of the many auto-immune conditions and in this scenario, a pigment in the skin called melanin ceases to be produced. This is as a result of a mistake attack on the melanocytes; melanin producing cells by the immune system.
Did you know that vitiligo affects 70 million people across the globe; not pertaining to a particular race, ethnic group or gender?
Although this looks like something to have qualms about, this is not necessarily so. Truth of the matter is, vitiligo just like any other autoimmune condition is not contracted neither is it contagious but, the real issue comes with the stigma that is enough to reduce people's self-esteem and general psychological well being. The stigma conforms them to a "nut shell" and they find it very difficult to come out and show the world what they are truly made of.
Modern day research points to factors such as stress and sunburn as vitiligo triggering factors, though this theory is yet to be proven.
Vitiligo just like any other autoimmune disease, has no cure for now but one thing is for sure; having vitiligo doesn't make you any less better or beautiful than any other person out there. It makes you different; unique to be precise.
"Beauty isn't in the face; beauty is a light in the heart"
