10 myths about Leucoderma

Aggravated by food products - Many believe that leucoderma can be aggravated by having milk or other white foods, or sour foods like citrus fruits, or by drinking milk shortly after eating fish. But the reality is - Leucoderma has not been shown to have any connection with diet nor does it have any impact on the severity of this condition. It is an auto immune disease which has no direct relation to food.

It is contagious - Leucoderma is purely a disease of the skin and does not influence the physical and mental abilities. Leucoderma is not contagious by nature therefore cannot be transmitted through touch, sharing personal items, saliva or intercourse. It is not related to disorders such as albinism, leprosy or skin cancer. It has been theorized that a combination of autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are responsible for the occurrence of leucoderma. 

It is genetically transmitted - Researches claim that it does not get carried to the progeny. There are several other reasons due to which it may occur. Some of these reasons being stress, gastro problems and a dysfunctioning liver. In cases where this skin condition is hereditary, there are less chances that it would get completely cured. Leucoderma is an auto immune disease, therefore one must understand that it is not just a skin disease but something that needs to be treated from within.

Reoccurs after every few months - Many consider that new spots come after the stoppage of the treatment. Generally speaking no new spots occur but there are certain cases of extreme stress or compromised immunity wherein the spots may recur, however these can be taken care of and controlled by the treatment. Ayurvedic treatment for Leucoderma is safest and most result oriented treatment available. With Ayurvedic treatment lots of herbs actually given which improves immunity system of the patient which directly have control over leucoderma spreading. With all medicines diet restrictions advised by Ayurvedic leucoderma specialist will help a lot in faster control of leucoderma spread.                                                                                                                

Leucoderma? Let’s do surgery - This is said that all patients of leucoderma are suitable candidates for surgery. It’s not true. Patients are suitable for surgery if disease is stable (not progressive with no new patches for one year). Medical treatment is usually necessary to stabilize leucoderma. Excimer laser are comparatively newer and even safer modalities in which psoralens are not required. Surgical modalities aim to introduce pigment bearing cells where they have been lost, from the patient’s own reservoir in other parts of the body. 

It is incurable - There is a myth for leucoderma that there is no hopes for all patients, but that is definitely not the case, There is definitely hope and present modalities of treatment as well as research has offered  undeniable hope to patients of leucoderma. Cosmetic camouflage with colour the shade of the patient’s skin can be a good option. After application, leucoderma lesions are not discernible at all. 

There are no options other than surgery - There are options for patients awaiting results of medical or surgical treatment or not interested in medical or surgical therapy. Cosmetic camouflage with coloring the patient’s skin with the shade of the person can be a good option. After application, leucoderma lesions are not discernible at all. There is common myth for leucoderma that it involves major surgery. The procedure is done under local anesthesia and mostly does not take long. If done by a trained dermatologist, the risk of complications is negligible. Medical treatment may take an average of 1-2 years. Medical treatment may need to be continued to achieve optimal results of surgery. Surgery for residual areas may also be necessary.

It is related to other skin disorders - Leucoderma is not related to other skin disorders such as albinism and skin cancer. There are clear distinctions between each of these disorders, none of them being related to leucoderma. Individuals with albinism are born with little or no melanin in their skin, whereas leucoderma onset occurs during one’s lifetime as the melanocytes become damaged. Also, leucoderma rarely encompasses the entire body like albinism. While skin cancers arise from mutations in DNA, the genetic information within skin cells cause them to behave abnormally and grow uncontrolled unlike leucoderma, which is a completely separate skin disorder, occurring through different mechanisms.       

It has limited treatment options - Leucoderma is surely treatable, Medical science has given us an entire armament to battle the disease -- treatments like immunomodular drugs, steroids, Ultraviolet A and the newer narrow band Ultraviolet B are available. In addition, various surgical options like punch grafting and split thickness grafting, can be done. The latest technique is melanocyte transfer, in which only melanocytes from normal skin are harvested and inoculated into the vitiliginous patches. Treatment is difficult and slow and not all patients respond alike; however, it is more important to treat the stigma than the disease as the mental impact is far more than the effect on physical well-being.  

All white patches are Leucoderma - Not all the white patches on the skin are Leucoderma. Fungal infections, healed eczemas, sun allergies and guttate hypomelanosis are common conditions which can mimic early leucoderma. So, when one sees white-colored patches on the body, they should consult a dermatologist to verify the diagnosis and allay fears. 

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