Spot the patch? Stop the stigma

CHENNAI:Jayanthi was 17 when her grandmother first spotted the white patch on her back. She panicked, cried and informed her father. They consulted a doctor who told her that it was a regular white patch caused due to infection and assured that it would heal in three weeks. But, it only spread to other parts of the body including her face. Every time, she walked into a grocery store, or even while riding a bike people would give her a second glance just to look at the white patches on the skin. It was not easy for her to tell them about loss of melanin.

Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition characterised by patches of the skin losing its pigment, and turning white. It is caused due to genetic susceptibility that is triggered by an environmental factor such as an autoimmune disease.  ‘Vitiligo’, in Tamil is called as ‘Venkustam’ and is often misunderstood as leprosy.
 Parthasarathy, a driver in a private company, spotted his first white patch when he was 13. “I did not inform my parents for over a year. When the patch appeared near my eyes my parents found out and consulted many doctors. But the patches did not respond to any treatment. As the patches spread, my college mates looked at me with suspicion. I was denied many jobs as people feared it was a contagious disease. All my relatives inquired about it at family functions,” he says. Parthasarathy stopped attending family events. It took six years for his parents to find him his life partner. “I have a daughter, my concern is that my skin condition  should not come in the way of her marriage,” he says.

Dr Pon Gomathi, a city-based dermatologist says, “Vitilgo is an autoimmune disorder and not contagious. This is curable with various treatments provided they are identified at an early stage. The society should not stigmatise them as the skin condition is only a pigment issue. Looking at them differently can affect them, psychologically; so we assure them to be positive,” she explains.

The patches formed above Jayanthi’s eye and close to her ears and hands, when she was in college. Her classmates and teachers recommended doctors, to get treated for the condition. Walking in the college corridor or canteen, or bus was emotionally burdening. Her confidence suffered a huge beating. She mostly wore outfits with long sleeves, and never tied her hair up so as to avoid showing the patches  near her ears.

“Once, I was riding my two wheeler, a man had followed me for more than two kilometers and handed me the visiting card of a dermatologist. The most affected in these years is my father, who has to face all the relatives who blame him for not providing me with proper treatment,” she shares.

Karthick* (45) found his first patch two years ago. “When I met the doctors they first boosted my confidence and told me it is not a contagious disease and would not affect my health. But my relatives urged me to take treatment claiming that this might affect my sons’s marriage proposal. I began my treatment but I overcame my fear and decided to discontinue the treatment,” he says.  

Dr Sasikumar Muthu, cosmetic surgeon and aesthetic physician, Pearl Health Hospital says, “Patients find ways to overcome the stigma. Awareness on treatment options has to be increased. Vitiligo is only loss of melanin cell and is believed to be hereditary. Depending on the severity and the patch of skin that is affected, the treatment plan is drawn. But it takes around three to four years to get a complete solution,” he says.

Symptoms

Vitiligo signs vary considerably from person to person, but are more pronounced in people with dark or tanned skin. Some people only get a few small, white patches (or lesions) that progress no further. Other people get bigger white patches that join up across large areas of their skin. Vitiligo commonly affects skin areas that are exposed to sun, as well as previous sites of skin injury, and body folds — eg armpits. Areas around body openings — mouth, nose etc — and the genitals may also be affected. Initially, the vitiligo may start as a patch that is slightly paler than the rest of your skin, but will gradually become completely white.

Courtesy: Vitiligo Research Foundation

In numbers

The average prevalence of vitiligo is between 0.5% to 2% of the global population, but local numbers may vary from 0.004% to 9.98%, depending on the region and age group. The total number of people suffering from vitiligo is estimated at around 65-95 million people worldwide. However, the actual number may be much higher because vitiligo is an under-reported disease.
Courtesy: Vitiligo Research Foundation