I wish I could share with you each of the emails that I receive from people with vitiligo, just so you could see that others feel the same way that you do at times about having patchy skin. I can’t though because sometimes a soul is bared through the writings and unless the emailer asks me to publish it, I will not.
Come on…just give me a hint.
I can, however, share the gist of many of the messages: sometimes the writer is just too self-conscious or embarrassed about having vitiligo that they don’t do many things that they want to do or need to accomplish, to have a fulfilling life.
For those of us who have a light complexion, living with vitiligo may be a little bit easier than those who have a dark complexion. That may sound like a “duh” statement, but the truth is that ones self-image/ self-esteem has a lot to do with how one will deal with anything that makes them physically different from the majority of people. So it goes without saying that someone with dark skin and a positive self-image may be totally comfortable with having vitiligo; whereas, a light-skinned person with vitiligo and low-self esteem, may not fare as well.
Why does having vitiligo bother me so much?
Social conditioning and personal experiences are large factors of our negative perception of having vitiligo. Have you ever seen someone with vitiligo on a magazine cover, a t.v. show, or in a movie? I don’t recall that I have. Frankly, anything that differs from the norm can make you feel atypical in either a positive or negative manner.
If one chooses to dye their hair with purple streaks, they feel good because it is an expression of their individuality. When someone puts tattoos all over their body, they too are expressing themselves. The only difference in our ‘vitiligo’ individuality and a tattoo, is that we didn’t choose this form which makes us stand out.
But do we really stand out in a negative way?
Most days before leaving my house I make sure to put on makeup to cover the vitiligo on my forehead and hands. But, there are days…many of them…that I just can’t be bothered. Oh, I’m still self-conscious about it while I am out, but I’m just not that worried about it, and that is a good thing.
For instance, Saturday I went to Borders to relax with a coffee and read a few gossip magazines. Once I had my fill of reading which celebrities are in rehab and who is dating who (or is that ‘whom’), I went to peruse the books. While standing in the psychology section, I struck up a conversation with the woman next to me. We had a delightful time talking about synchronicities in life and what they might mean. In the end we exchanged email addresses and I gave her the web addresses to my 2 websites: vitiligocover.com and sculptmagazine.com.
She emailed me later that afternoon saying that she enjoyed our conversation. She also told me that she had visited my websites and wondered if I had vitiligo because she didn’t notice it on me. Imagine my surprise; I had not bothered with putting on makeup before venturing out that morning so why didn’t she notice the vitiligo?
I will keep repeating this until it is in our collective psyche
She didn’t consciously notice my vitiligo because she was focused on our conversation which resulted from both of our personalities. When speaking with her, I was not ‘Nathalie, the girl with vitiligo’, I was just me; a confident woman who loves to talk and to make people laugh.
This is the message I send back to anyone who emails telling me that they are unhappy living a self-imposed exile because of their vitiligo:
You are a beautiful person, inside and out. Let your personality shine and your vitiligo will either go unnoticed or it will be seen as beauty marks by those near you. That is not an empty promise…it’s the truth.
Vitiligo Corner Facebook Fan Page
thanks Nathalie,
i’m still wondering if it’s going to give me orangy looking on my skin after i sweat,
and if you created this lotion or you happened to be hired by the company that makes this lotion, and i couldn’t find the ingredient of this lotion anywhere here, so i’m a bit worried …..
hi ben, i worked with a manufacturer to create it for my own use, then a couple of years later decided to sell it. The main ingredients are listed in the link marked ‘our special ingredients’ http://shop.vitiligocover.com/buy-now/faq/our-special-ingredients/.
the lotion has never turned my skin orange, but you will need to exfoliate in the shower before applying the lotion. this removes all dead skin cell on the surface so the lotion will not adhere to them. also, whenever anyone sweats, a fair amount of dead skin cells naturally sough off and discoloration will be seen on towels or clothes- for example, the inside collar of a man’s work shirt can get a line that looks like dirt rubbed off of the skin, when in fact, it’s just dead skin cells mixed with sweat (unless he’s been gardening, then it may just be plain old dirt, lol).
no need to worry. a short, but complete, list of instructions will arrive with your package, so you will enjoy the results
if you have any more questions feel free to skype me (link is on the shop site on the right side) or call anytime.
hi ben, i worked with a manufacturer to create it for my own use, then a couple of years later decided to sell it. The main ingredients are listed in the link marked ‘our special ingredients’
the lotion has never turned my skin orange, but you will need to exfoliate in the shower before applying the lotion. this removes all dead skin cell on the surface so the lotion will not adhere to them. also, whenever anyone sweats, a fair amount of dead skin cells naturally sough off and discoloration will be seen on towels or clothes- for example, the inside collar of a man’s work shirt can get a line that looks like dirt rubbed off of the skin, when in fact, it’s just dead skin cells mixed with sweat (unless he’s been gardening, then it may just be plain old dirt, lol).
no need to worry. a short, but complete, list of instructions will arrive with your package, so you will enjoy the results
if you have any more questions feel free to skype me (link is on the shop site on the right side) or call anytime.
hello all,
i’m just wondering if anyone can give me a feedback on Vitiligo cover lotion ?? i’m using ST.TROPEZ self tan mousse right now on my arms and hands , and since i sweat alot, i find the color gets oranggy when wet,….
dunno if Vitiligo cover cream will give me the same problem (color changes when wet)….and if it’s going to be orangy color….
anyways, thanks Nathalie for all the efforts she’s been putting on the Vitiligo society…..
wish you all the best!
and please give me feedback on the product !
Hi Ben,
I got your order for vitiligo cover lotion, cheers! i’ve been using it year-round for the past 8 years and love it; you will, too
all the best,
nathalie
I have had come across an information on recell on this site. I believe the treatment was available in Europe. I really would appreciate the information on it: the address, phone number, the cost, etc. Thank you.
Hi Mia,
Try seeing a derm. and asking him/her about UVB. I had vitiligo for as long as I can remember and have had major self-esteem issues because of it. I have been using UVB very successfully for a few months now. Hope this helps!
To Mia
I been in many doctors around the world ,and th last one was in india , but infortunatly , they didint found any cure for this vitiligo , so dont blame ur parents about this im sure that they ur suffering just like mine , but thers that vitiligo cover lotion i did try it recently and its work its cover 80% , and th whit places even show , try it it worth , i bought it from US , try it u wil not regrett, at least it can help u , to gain more trust on ur self … and i wish good luck for all…
I’ve had vitiligo for as long as I can remember. In high school, it was hard for me because I was in high school. The only thing about that was that I was a cheerleader 3 out of my 4 years of high school. Its everywhere on my leg. One leg, the right one. Now I am a freshman in college and I have not worn any shorts at all since I been here. I really cant deal with this. I have never been to a Dr. before, about this. I diagnosed myself. I looked up the signs and all that good stuff. Its hard to find anything to cover it up with also. I dont know how to explain how I’m feeling to my parents. Why they haven’t taken me to a Dr. I have no clue, but now that I’m old enough to take myself, I think I will. I just have to muster up the courage to. I try to accept it and I think it will go away on it’s own, like the patches did over and under my eyes. Just like I woke up with it one day, I hope that one day I will wake up without it.
Hi Stevens,
I know from experience that UVB is a great treatment and have read a lot about protopic’s success, specially on people’s facial vit. Have you tried either treatment? They are both expensive but depending on where you live, may be covered by your health plan.
hi
my name is henda , and im 30 yrs old , i had vitiligo when i was 15 years old , is just start by my hands , and it stop there since th last year , how it stop ? i think becoz i didint giv any attention and i was always looking positivly to this vitiligo , th must important stay far from stress , dont be ungry , and liv ur life positivly its wil help , i visit many doctors in th 4 corner of th world my last visit was to india , but ifortunatly no cure, th indian doctor told me th only cure u can have , is a mind free and positiv , and that what i did , til this 15 years im living with but it dosent extend i my body , coz what im thinking is that i dont have it … all th best for all …
henda
Im a 24 year old male that has been living with Vitiligo for the past 4 years. Its been hard for me because even though people say they dont notice it, i know its there! The spot that really bothers me is under my eyebrows, it looks like im wearing make-up at all times! I’ve heard lots of treatments for vitiligo but their tooo expensive… any suggestions?
I am happy to hear about people who are living happy lives with vitiligo. I am a dark skinned African American woman with vitiligo. It has not effected my face as much as my hand, elbow, thighs and genital area. I think that I have a lot of confidence but when it comes to intimacy I do not. I had a husband who made me feel less than because of the disease so I left him, however that experience has made it really difficult for me to think about intimacy with anyone.
I think that even when you exude confidence on the outside, the disease still effects your relationships with others and stops you from doing things that other people don’t even think about doing like going on vacation and sharing a room with a friend.