Vitiligo on lips, around eyes or face, is nothing you want to end up with because it is visible and unsightly. Maybe this is the reason why everyone will want to hide it with makeup, tattoos while others will opt for the various treatments including surgical incision, laser, creams or home remedies.
Overview
Table of content
You will concur it has become a norm to hear people complain of Vitiligo on the face, around eyes and lips. Why does it commonly target these body parts?
Any area around the face, including the eyes, nose, and lips, are always exposed to UV light. These areas are also never covered and thus, are prone to Vitiligo. Overexposure to sunlight may destroy or deactivate melanocytes around these areas.
For many people, having this condition on the lips is disastrous. It is indeed a real bother given that one has to use the mouth when eating, talking or laughing. The white patches can significantly affect one’s self-esteem.
Meaning
Before talking more on Vitiligo on lips, it would be good to understand the whole concept of Vitiligo. Medically, this condition is also called leukoderma. It is characterized by white patches on different body parts.
Where do the white patches come from? Generally, leukoderma is associated with skin depigmentation. Depigmentation indicates that production of melanin is significantly inhibited due to loss of melanocytes.
As a result, certain body parts lose their initial skin color, and one develops white patches on their skin. These patches commonly occur in body parts that are mainly uncovered, which include:
- Lips
- Around the mouth
- Around the eyes
- Around the nose
- Around the neck
Facts about vitiligo on lips
Understanding facts about Vitiligo is essential in determining the treatment to seek for. According to medicalnewstoday.com, Vitiligo on lips shouldn’t give you a sleepless night. With prompt medical care, this condition can be managed.
Here are some facts that you need to understand about it:
- The condition is basically characterized by white dots, spots or even patches.
- It mainly targets exposed body parts.
- It can target anyone regardless of their gender, ethnicity or age.
- As of now, no cure has been found and one to learn to cope or live with it.
- Although the root cause is unknown, it is commonly attributed to fungal infection, overexposure to the sun and autoimmune disorder among other risk factors.
- One can use several home remedies and treatments to contain the condition.
What causes vitiligo on lips
Like Vitiligo on other body parts, its remain unknown. However, dermatologists associate this condition with risk factors that deactivate melanocytes. In the body, melanocytes are responsible for the production of melanin.
When melanocytes are dead, then skin fails to produce melanin which gives the skin its color. Consequently, the skin loses its skin color and white patches occur. According to healthyguide.com, melanocytes can be killed or destroyed by many factors. Such factors include:
- Autoimmune disorders- This happens when the body kills melanocytes. The white blood cells sense melanocytes as foreign material. They, therefore, invade and kill them. In places where melanocytes are killed, this condition emerges.
- Hereditary factors- It is believed that Vitiligo in this area alongside other body parts, is genetic. A closer look at the victim’s life reveals that one of the parents may have had the condition or a close relative.
- Mental stress- Did you known that melanocytes get killed when one is mentally distressed? Yes, when one is under extreme mental pressure, stress hormones are excessively produced. These are responsible for killing melanocytes.
- Nutritional deficiencies- In some cases, the emergence of Vitiligo on lips can indicate that your body lacks certain essential nutrients such as Vitamin B 12.
- Accumulations of toxins in the body- When one is exposed to toxic substances for long, the melanocytes get deactivated. Consequently, one develops these patches on the affected area.
- Sunburn- Overexposure to UV light is very harmful, especially to uncovered body parts. UV rays are the leading killers of melanocytes beside causing sunburns and for this case sunburned lips. This is common among the dark-skinned people. Somebody parts, such as eyes, nose, and lips develop Vitiligo following prolonged sunburns.
How to get rid of vitiligo on lips
According to fightvitiligo.com, leukoderma on lips is manageable. You may have heard people talk of vitiligo on lips cure, home remedies, or even how to cover vitiligo on lips. This tells you that there are many options of managing this condition.
Commonly, causes on your lips is managed through the following options:
Surgical excision
Surgery is the most popular way of getting rid of vitiligo on lips. However, this is only done by those who feel totally disgruntled by the white patches. It is also an option when other home remedies have failed.
Surgical excision procedures mainly focus on depigmentation. Through surgery, some pigments are introduced on your lips to replace the white patches. However, this kind of surgery is not only very expensive but also very complicated. It also comes along with numerous side effects.
Other treatments for it include
- Excimer laser surgery
- Corticosteroid ointments to avoid the spread of the white patches
- Calcipotriene (Dovonex) topical cream
- Tattooing the affected area (tattoo on vitiligo)
Vitiligo home remedies and herbs
Did you know that natural home remedies work better on vitiligo on lips than many modern drugs? Many doctors recommend these home remedies where other treatment options have proved futile.
The common home remedies that you can use include:
- Gingko Biloba– Its antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties are effective in treating this skin condition on lips including leukoderma around your eyes, nose, ears or the face.
- Babchi- This is known for its ability to alleviate white patches on any body part, including the lips.
- Mustard Oil- Mixing mustard oil with turmeric works effectively against white patches on lips.
- Honey- Honey contains significant antibacterial and antifungal properties that heal numerous skin conditions, including vitiligo.
- Apple Cider Vinegar- Commonly, production of melanin is inhibited by an infestation of melanocytes by bacterial and fungal agents. Using apple cider vinegar works perfectly in killing all these microbial organisms.
- Ginger- This is readily available in the local market around you. It has essential properties that not only help in facilitating blood circulation but also in enhancing production of melanin. This works perfectly in healing lips vitiligo.
- Cabbage- This easy-to-find home remedy has amazing health benefits. Cabbage juice, when drank or directly applied on these patches, helps in alleviating them.
- Vitamin E Oil- As you all know, vitamin E works perfectly on any skin. Applying this oil on your lips helps in rejuvenating the skin cells, including the melanocytes. This would, consequently, alleviate the white dots and patches on lips due to this skin disorder.
- Papaya- You can consume papaya juice or apply it directly on the affected lips. Papaya has medicinal properties that are anti-vitiligo.
- Neem- It is one of the renowned skin remedies. If you are struggling with an autoimmune disorder, then neem can help you. In fact, it is one of the best home remedies for vitiligo.
- Herbs: Is leukoderma curable? Some herbs have provided a reliable relief to vitiligo on lips. Boiling and drinking soup from some herbs heals the white patches. Some other herbs are smeared on the patches, thus facilitating depigmentation. Some of the common herbs that you can use to treat vitiligo on lips include Picriliza and St John Wort
Use concealers to hide it
Which is the best vitiligo treatment? When it comes to lips, some doctors will tell you that no medication can guarantee 100 % cure. Therefore, many people use concealers to cover vitiligo on lips.
The concealers successfully cover the white patches making them invisible. However, concealers only offer a temporary solution. Furthermore, they are very uncomfortable to live with especially if you are a man. It is also a health concern that you might swallow the chemicals in the concealers.
References and Citations
- healthyguide.com Home Remedies for Vitiligo
- medicalnewstoday.com Understanding the symptoms of vitiligo
- fightvitiligo.com How to Treat Vitiligo on Lips
- consumerhealthdigest.com Leukoderma
- wikipedia.org Melanocyte