10 things not to do if you have vitiligo

Last Updated on 27th October 2023 by Caroline Haye

Avoid these to minimise depigmentation

One of the first questions that comes to mind on finding out you have vitiligo is: what can I do about it? And, of course, that is a good question to ask. It’s important to find out what treatment options are available. And consulting a dermatology specialist is the obvious starting point. I also recommend doing as much online research on vitiligo as possible too. The better informed you are, the more in control of your situation you are likely to feel. But knowing what to do is only half the story. The other half is knowing what not to do. After all, there’s not much point in treating a condition if you are continuing to aggravate it at the same time. So here are my top 10 things to avoid if you have vitiligo and you don’t want it to get worse.

(As far as I am aware, none of the 10 risk factors I have listed below is a root cause of vitiligo, unless you count the de-pigmenting effect of certain chemicals as an entirely separate type of vitiligo – i.e. chemical leucoderma, as opposed to the “normal” gene-related vitiligo. But they are definitely all potential triggers for anyone with a predisposition to vitiligo. So being aware of them should help you to manage the risk they pose.)

1. Expose your skin to harsh chemicals

The majority of us don’t routinely handle dangerous chemicals as part of our job. And those who do know better than to touch them without proper protection. But how often have you plunged your hands and wrists into a basin full of water and detergent? Or wrung out a cloth containing toilet bleach? Held a scourer soaked in oven cleaner? Accidentally sprayed your skin with fly killer or air freshener? Spilled nail varnish remover over your fingers? Applied weed-killer to your lawn without gloves on? Or splashed yourself with paint, varnish or even glue? Sometimes we do this kind of thing without even considering the possible effect on our skin. Other times, it crosses our mind that it’s probably not a good idea. But we do it anyway because we are in a rush. This is a bad enough idea if you have totally healthy skin. But it’s a really bad one if you have vitiligo.

Needless to say, coming into contact with harmful chemicals is something we should all avoid. And if we accidentally expose our skin (or eyes, lungs etc.) to a dangerous substance we should take immediate action to wash it off, if appropriate, or get immediate medical advice. But, better still, avoid using products that contain harsh chemicals and protect your skin at all times. In fact, my principle is this… If in doubt, don’t use it… And if you have to use it, cover up your skin first.

A lot is known about which chemicals and substances can cause de-pigmentation. But it’s probably true that there is also a lot we still don’t know. So I always recommend erring on the side of caution. You can find a list of the main known culprits in my post Vitiligo or Chemical Leukoderma?

2. Wear rubber

No – I’m not suggesting anything kinky! In fact, I’m mentioning rubber at this point in my list because your immediate response to the first point was most likely to reach for the rubber gloves as protection against all those nasty chemicals. But, ironically, that would be one of the worst things you could do. Why? Because rubber gloves themselves are a proven trigger for chemical / contact vitiligo.

Specifically, the chemical in rubber gloves that poses the greatest risk is MBEH (monobenzylether of hydroquinone). And, although this chemical has been removed from rubber products in some countries, this is not universal and is no guarantee of safety. Not only that, but since so many people are allergic to latex and allergic reactions may also trigger vitiligo, my advice is to avoid rubber products wherever possible. And, if you must wear them, put a protective barrier between the fabric and your skin. Cotton gloves under your rubber gloves, for example, or even soothing antimicrobial dermatological gloves like DermaSilk… And socks inside your wellies or rubber shoes!

3. Use chemical hair dye

Protecting our vitiligo-prone skin from harmful chemicals is not just a matter of avoiding accidental contact with certain substances. We also have to consider those chemicals that we deliberately put onto our skin (and – worse still – leave there for prolonged periods). These can include perfumes and various other cosmetic and grooming products. But we are almost certainly at greatest risk of triggering vitiligo when we use permanent hair dyes. I have written at greater length about the de-pigmenting agents in hair dye elsewhere on this site. And this Living Dappled hair dye article also goes into more detail on the subject.

4. Use potentially harmful beauty treatments

We all like to look our best. And having a skin condition like vitiligo can sometimes prompt us to look for ways to enhance, alter or in some way compensate for our white patches. Not only that, but a beauty treatment can give us back a feeling of control over our appearance. But some beauty therapies and procedures can increase the risk of de-pigmentation. In particular, any process that causes abrasion to the surface of your skin or brings your skin into contact with chemical dyes or solvents. You may still judge that, for you, the benefits outweigh the risks. (For example, I do wax my legs because the hairy consequences of not doing so are too awful to contemplate!) But I would suggest that it’s worth weighing up the pros and cons before you make a decision about the following:

• Dry skin brushing
• Waxing
• Microdermabrasion and exfoliation treatments
• Tattooing (more on this in Tattoos and Vitiligo)
• Semi-permanent makeup
• False lashes (because of the adhesive)
• Glitter and adhesive body art

5. Wear new unlaundered clothes

I never used to think twice about wearing new clothes straight from the shopping bag. In fact, that unlaundered feel and smell was part of the pleasure. But, once I realised that unwashed fabrics can transfer dyes, dressings, finishing sprays and other chemical residues onto the skin, I started to wash everything before using it. And this includes bedding and towels too. (I have included more detail on this in Your Clothing May Be To Blame For Your Vitiligo.)

6. Get sunburned

In most cases, vitiligo patches burn easily due to their lack of protective melanin. So a lot of people with vitiligo avoid the sun, which is a pity because sunshine is good for our mood. And it is the main way we get our vital vitamin D. UV light is also a key element in most successful vitiligo therapies. It takes UV to stimulate new pigment. But, as I have found out a few times, to my cost, overdoing sun exposure is just as bad as not getting enough. In fact, a bad sunburn almost always causes some loss of pigment, if only temporarily. So limiting your time in the sun and sticking to times of the day when the UV is less strong are my top two tips for sunbathers. (For more detail see Is sunshine good for vitiligo?)

7. Take medication without checking on side effects

Knowing what is in a medicine before you take it is just as important as knowing what ingredients are in a household product or a hair dye. Most people probably don’t give much thought to this, unless they have certain allergies, for example to aspirin or penicillin. But if you are prone to de-pigmentation, the last thing you want to do is take a medication for something else, only to find out later that it has made your vitiligo worse. And since most doctors would probably not check for this risk when prescribing medication for an unrelated condition, it’s up to you to take responsibility for doing a bit of ingredients-list-reading for yourself… much as you would if you needed to check your groceries or restaurant menu for allergens. I feel that this is such an important topic, and one that is hardly ever mentioned, that I made it the subject of last month’s blog: Can prescription drugs cause vitiligo?

8. Eat fast foods

Although the majority of doctors routinely dismiss any link between vitiligo and nutrition (which frustrates and baffles me), most would concede that a clean, nutritious diet is likely to improve all aspects of one’s health. And those of us who have experienced first-hand the power of nutrition to reverse vitiligo know that eating a healthy diet is, in itself, powerful medicine. Having said that, my re-pigmentation occurred whilst taking supplements alone, without any changes to my diet. But I now believe that doing both at once would probably have been even more effective an maybe worked faster.

I have written a lot elsewhere on this site about what foods and supplements I have found beneficial. But there isn’t as much information on which foods to avoid. The term “fast food” probably covers most of these. But I don’t just mean chips, burgers and chocolate cake. I would include all overly processed foods and those with a high sugar content.

9. Ignore other symptoms

It’s all too easy to assume that vitiligo exists in a vacuum… that white spots on the skin have nothing whatever to do with the rest of our physiology. And some doctors seem to work on this assumption. They tell their patients that their skin condition is harmless and not to worry about it. The only other health advice they offer is to wear a high sun protection factor. But better informed doctors will ask you about other aspects of your health. They may test for other autoimmune conditions, as well as for common vitamin and mineral deficiencies (e.g. vitamin D, B12, folate, copper and zinc). And, based on current research, it seems likely that investigations into our gut and skin microbiome may eventually be added to the list of routine tests for vitiligo patients too.

Vitiligo is not a simple condition with a simple cause. In fact, it is more like a symptom with multiple potential causes. So, discovering what is triggering yours can take some detective work. And, although your dermatologist should be able to do the detecting, no one knows your body better than you do yourself. So, I believe it just makes sense to watch out for other persistent symptoms, like allergies, intolerances, etc. and consider the possibility that some of these could be clues as to what might be triggering your loss of pigment.

10. Get stressed

Feeling stressed is a very common and understandable reaction to having a vitiligo diagnosis. And the stress does not stop there either. Living with the condition on a day to day basis can be stressful too. But, as well as being bad for your general health, stress is bad for vitiligo in particular. In fact, many people can trace the onset of their vitiligo – or else a worsening of it – to a particular stressful event or anxious period in their life.

Of course, no one can avoid stress altogether but there is a lot you can do to minimise it. And, as far as I can see, there are two main ways of doing this. The first is external. This consists of making whatever lifestyle changes you can that will remove or reduce the stressors in your everyday life. And the other is internal, meaning that you change the way you respond to stress. An example of external stress reduction would be delegating certain tasks to other people at work or at home… Whereas internal stress reduction is typically achieved through mentally calming techniques like meditation and yoga, for example. (I list some useful coping strategies in my recent guest blog in Vit Life magazine.)

Why focus on what not to do if you have vitiligo?

You may be wondering why I have chosen to focus this article on what not to do, rather than what to do, if you have vitiligo. It may seem uncharacteristically negative. But I don’t mean it to be. It just strikes me that we can sometimes spend so much time and effort on doing things right that we run the risk of overlooking those pitfalls that can undermine our efforts.

Regardless of the type of therapy you use, successfully reversing and managing vitiligo is not a quick or simple matter. It demands a certain amount of patience and discipline and is usually inconvenient. So the more aware we are of the obstacles that can stand in our way, the easier it is to remove them. And the only way we can do that is if we know what they are.