12 ways to avoid contact vitiligo

Last Updated on 24th November 2023 by Caroline Haye

Protecting your hands, face and body from chemical leucoderma

If you know anything about vitiligo you will know that it cannot be caught. It is neither infectious nor contagious. Coming into contact with someone who has vitiligo will no more cause your skin to lose pigment than coming into contact with a parrot would cause you to sprout feathers and a beak. But what you may not know is that you can develop vitiligo by coming into contact with things. In fact, a surprisingly large number of familiar and seemingly harmless items can cause pigment loss if you come into direct or repeated contact with them. So, on this page, I want to flag up some of those items and substances. And, while I’m at it, I’ll be sharing 12 ways to avoid contact vitiligo in your everyday life.

If you prefer to jump to a particular section, click on a heading below:

• What is contact vitiligo?
• How do I know if my vitiligo is caused by chemical contact or not?
• Protecting your hands from contact vitiligo
• Avoiding contact vitiligo on your face and head
• Protecting your body from chemical vitiligo triggers

What is contact vitiligo?

Contact vitiligo and contact leucoderma are both terms that refer to skin depigmentation caused by certain chemicals. There is a slight technical distinction between the two, which is explained in this scientific article. But, for the purposes of my post, this distinction is not important because both terms apply to pigment loss following contact with particular substances. And I’ll be concentrating on how we can protect ourselves from this phenomenon, regardless of how we choose to define it.

How do I know if my vitiligo is caused by chemical contact or not?

Some people experience itching, flaking or a rash either immediately before or during the appearance of a new vitiligo lesion. And this can be a sign of an allergic reaction or contact dermatitis. So this might give you a clue. But, even if these symptoms don’t occur, that doesn’t mean your new patch wasn’t triggered by chemical contact. So it is always worth familiarising yourself with the kinds of chemicals and products that can act as depigmenting agents. At least, then, you can avoid them in the future.

Protecting your hands from contact vitiligo

Hands are a common site for vitiligo and, notoriously, one of the more difficult parts of the body to re-pigment. We use them for literally thousands of tasks on a daily basis. And, in the process, they repeatedly come into contact with so many different substances that most of us hardly even give this fact a second thought. But we really should. So the first three of my twelve tips are all about protecting your hands…

1. Wear protective gloves when handling any potentially harmful substances

Many common household and workplace products contain chemicals (in particular, a group of compounds collectively known as substituted phenols) that are destructive to our pigment-producing cells (melanocytes). Some of these compounds can cause permanent depigmentation of the skin. And this can happen to anyone, whether they have a history of vitiligo or not. The most common of these compounds include para-tertiary butyl phenol (PTBP), para-tertiary butyl catechol (PTBC), hydroquinone and monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone (MBH). But this list is far from exhaustive. So, my rule of thumb (while we are talking about hands) is this… If you aren’t 100% certain the product you are handling is safe, don’t let it touch your skin.

It is important to wear protective gloves when washing up and cleaning, as well as when you handle chemicals in the workplace or garden. Also when using glue, paint, dyes, ink and anything containing rubber… Which means also wearing an additional protective barrier under your rubber gloves. (Untreated, undyed cotton gloves may be sufficient. But ideally, you would use specialist dermatological protection like DermaSilk or Microair Barrier gloves.) And if all this seems like overkill or unwanted hassle, just ask yourself how important your skin is to you.

2. Use only natural, gentle hand soap and lotion

Protecting hands from heavy duty, industrial-grade products is a matter of common sense. But the importance of avoiding contact with apparently benign everyday items may not seem as obvious. And it is all the more surprising when you consider the fact that many of the products I’m talking about are marketed as being kind to your skin.

For example, most mainstream hand soaps and lotions make all kinds of claims about being gentle or containing natural or organic ingredients. But the vast majority of them also contain known irritants like perfume and SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate). And remember, if a substance can cause contact dermatitis or any kind of inflammation, it can potentially lead to new vitiligo patches. So my second rule of thumb is to read ingredients listings carefully. And opt for the simplest, most naturally soothing formulations you can find. (In fact, I no longer buy hand lotion at all. I just use pure coconut oil.)

3. Be wary of nail varnish

I originally entitled this section “Don’t wear nail varnish”. But I realised this might be an unduly depressing piece of advice for some people. So, if life without a touch of sparkle or colour at your fingertips is too grim a prospect, my suggestion is to be extremely careful about not spilling any nail polish on your skin when you apply it. And to protect yourself from direct contact with it, even after it has set. (Yes – even then.)

I frequently wore nail polish for decades before thinking about the fact that it came into direct and prolonged contact with other part of my body while I was sleeping. In fact, my habitual sleeping position is with my arms bent and my fingers curled inwards against my collar bone, which is exactly where some of my vitiligo patches used to be. So I rarely wear nail polish now. And, when I do, I put cotton gloves on at night for protection.

Avoiding contact vitiligo on your face and head

Hands are not the only part of our body that regularly come into contact with irritants and depigmenting agents. The face is also a common site for vitiligo and many of the products we routinely use can make this much worse, or trigger it in the first place. So my next five tips relate to protecting our face from this risk…

4. Use only natural, gentle cosmetics

When it comes to facial skin care items and makeup, my advice is much the same as for hand care products. At the very least, read labels carefully, reject products that contain chemicals that you either know or suspect may be problematic. A starting point is to avoid the cheaper end of the market altogether and avoid products that have a very long list of ingredients (especially unpronounceable ones). But, to be safe, my recommendation is only to use brands that specialise in genuinely clean, simple products for sensitive skins.

I ditched my old cleanser, toner and moisturiser routine several years ago because checking the ingredients in high street brands was just too bewildering. My go-to cleanser now is pure coconut oil, which works brilliantly for me, even on eye makeup. As a substitute for toner I use pure lukewarm water (which is both safe and free). And I buy the cleanest, gentlest moisturiser I can find from my local health food store or eco shop.

In my experience, the safest makeup to use is one or other of the pure mineral powder brands. This is because these are completely natural and contain no added chemical ingredients. Conventional formulations of eye liner, lash tint and mascara are among the worst cosmetics, when it comes to risking chemical vitiligo. So my best advice is to avoid them completely. However, there are some much kinder, more natural alternatives on the market which, if used occasionally, would at least minimise the risk.

5. Clean your teeth with gentle, natural toothpaste

As with most detergents and soaps, the majority of toothpaste manufacturers use chemical ingredients to give customers the perception of a better look, feel or consistency to their products. Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) is one of these ingredients. It is used because it helps bind other ingredients together and produces foam, or bubbles, that most of us associate with cleanliness. But, in fact, it does not improve the cleaning action of a product at all and is really unnecessary… Which is just as well, because it is a serious skin irritant that research suggests is specifically damaging in cases of vitiligo. (Maybe this is one reason why the corners of the mouth are such a common site for depigmentation)

An added concern, when it comes to dental products, is that the current fashion for fiercely white, celeb-style gnashers has increased the number of bleaching ingredients being used. For obvious reasons, the risk of getting these ingredients anywhere near your skin if you have vitiligo is not one I’d recommend you take. So I strongly suggest using one of the many natural toothpastes available, which do a perfectly good job of cleaning your teeth and cleansing your breath and, in my view, taste much nicer too.

6. Don’t allow adhesives or permanent dyes to touch your skin

Adhesives are among the worst contact dermatitis triggers you can put onto your skin. So allowing these to come into contact with your face is a really bad idea. For this reason, I would not recommend applying lash glue, glitter or decorative stickers (even adhesive bindis) to your face.

Permanent dyes, including tattoo dyes, are a known cause of contact dermatitis and can lead to pigment loss. Many of them contain PPD, one of a number of harsh chemicals that are common in permanent hair colour products, which brings me on to my next two tips…

7. Protect your scalp by using only the gentlest hair products

Hair care products are another part of our daily routine that usually contain chemical irritants. Not only that, but most people use more product in their hair (and therefore on their scalp) than is actually needed to get the job done. We mistakenly think that more shampoo will get our hair cleaner, for example, when it is really the water that does the cleaning. It only requires a small quantity of shampoo to soften the water so it can do all the work.

I ditched the well-known brands as soon as I became aware of their increased dermatitis risk and now only ever use a small quantity of very mild baby shampoo or another entirely natural shampoo (with no SLS, obviously). And I always make sure to wash it out thoroughly.

Chemical-free conditioners are also the safest choice, although in theory you only apply conditioner to the hair and not directly to the scalp. And, if you must use hair spray, my advice is to use it sparingly and cover up your face, ears and neck completely while you apply it. Even then, it is going to come into contact with your scalp, so gel or wax may be a safer option.

8. Steer clear of chemical dyes and perms

The riskiest of all hair products has to be those toxic chemical cocktails that many of us have been cheerfully plastering all over our head for years I’m talking about permanent hair dyes and perming solutions. Without doubt, these are among the nastiest substances that are legally and routinely applied to human skin. Don’t let the adverts and packaging that boast this, that, or the other natural oil or organic ingredient fool you. These may smell less choking or make your hair feel silkier. But if they are categorised as “permanent”, they contain chemicals that could cause contact dermatitis and contact vitiligo.

So the only way to avoid this risk completely is not to have your hair treated. In fact, avoiding permanent hair dye and perms is right near the top of my tips for avoiding and managing vitiligo. However, a responsibly formulated semi-permanent hair colour or pure henna hair colour will probably not do any harm and can give good results. And, if having permanent colour is really important to you, I suggest asking your hairdresser to apply foils extremely carefully so as not to have the dye touch your scalp at all until the moment it is rinsed out.

Protect your body from chemical vitiligo triggers

Some everyday items pose a particular risk to the rest of the body. Personal care products, and even clothing, can trigger contact dermatitis or lead directly to pigment loss. So my final four tips relate to these.

9. Buy a really natural deodorant (or make your own)

When was the last time you gave any thought to what product you use under your arms? Most of us try a few deodorants or antiperspirants, then stick with what we find works for us. But nearly all of these products contain potentially harmful chemicals and, in the case of antiperspirants, heavy metals. And, given that armpits are another common site for vitiligo, this may be partly because of the chemicals we roll or spray on every day of our lives.

Underarm products have two functions: tackling the unpleasant odour of sweat (deodorant) and / or preventing the wearer from sweating (antiperspirant). Some have added “benefits” like drying fast, not leaving white marks on clothing or smelling like designer perfume. And most of these things can only be achieved through the inclusion of chemical ingredients, aluminium and perfumes, all of which are serious skin irritants, if not actual systemic health risks.

Once I became aware of this, I gave up on the idea of antiperspirants and focussed on natural brands of deodorant, crystal deo sticks in particular. I found these fine for most occasions. But they didn’t always make the grade in hot climates. So I started experimenting at home with gentle ingredients that have natural antibacterial and deodorant properties. And now I simply soften some coconut oil and add a couple of squirts of magnesium spray. This home-made deodorant is positively healthy and skin-friendly. It eliminates odour and it also seems to reduce perspiration, even in hot weather. (So, no – before you ask – I have not lost any friends since starting this.)

10. Choose your body soap, body wash and lotions carefully

Having read all of the above, it will come as no surprise that most high street brands of body products contain synthetic chemicals, perfumes SLS and other irritants. As with facial and hair products, don’t let the addition of a few natural ingredients here and there fool you. Contact dermatitis is about the substances that come into contact with the skin, not about whether or not a few trendy ingredients have been included in the mix.

Once again, the simpler and cleaner a product is, the less of a risk it is likely to be for sensitive and vitiligo skin. Eco-friendly, natural plant-based and hand-made soaps are all the rage nowadays. So finding a chemical-free bar or body wash is relatively easy. And the same is true of moisturising lotions and body butters, although you really can’t go wrong with coconut oil. It’s safe, relatively cheap, and it does the job.

11. Cut all labels out of clothes if they irritate your skin (and even if they don’t)

If clothing labels make your skin itch or break out in welts, you are definitely not alone. Over the years, my skin became more and more sensitive to the horrible, scratchy fabric tags that are sewn into every garment I buy. (Except socks, for some reason.) These labels are attached so tightly that, as this excellent article in Good Housekeeping points out, “it practically requires a blowtorch to remove them”.

Labels can drive you to distraction if you are allergic to the fabric, thread or dyes in the label. And, even if you don’t have an allergy to these prickly nuisances, I still recommend you remove them. This is because the friction they cause as they rub against your skin can lead to de-pigmentation. A number of my vitiligo spots first emerged at the site of garment labels, although it took me a while to make the connection. I now realise this was an example of “koebnerisation“.

12. Wash all new clothes and avoid unfast dyes

Modern clothing typically features synthetic fabrics, chemical coatings, dyes, glues and even metals that can all trigger clothing dermatitis or textile allergy. And, when you consider that these substances remain in contact with your skin for many hours at a time, it’s hardly surprising that the combination of both chemical contact and prolonged friction can be bad news for anyone with vitiligo.

Stretch fabrics, synthetics like nylon and dark coloured clothes (especially blue denim) are among the worst culprits. And anything that has been treated with a special finish (often containing formaldehyde resins) can cause an adverse reaction. So, my rule of thumb for clothing is to wash everything at least once before you wear it. I also recommend choosing clothes made from soft, natural fabrics and avoiding dark dyes, especially those that are not colour-fast. Avoiding very tight garments is also a good idea if you want to minimise the risk of koebnerisation.

… And don’t forget accessories

Jewellery and shoes can also cause contact dermatitis. One of the itchiest rashes I ever had was at the site of a pendant I used to wear. And, not surprisingly, this is exactly where a vitiligo patch appeared soon afterwards. In addition to this, the dyes and other chemicals used in the manufacture of footwear include various skin irritants and depigmenting agents. Added to which, shoes inevitably rub against our skin as we walk, which may explain why the tops of the feet are such a common site for vitiligo. So my final tip is to ensure your footwear is as well-fitting and comfortable as possible and / or to wear socks or liners to protect your skin from direct contact with your shoes.

(You can read more on this subject in these previous posts:

Your clothing may be to blame for your vitiligo and Itchy clothing tags can trigger vitiligo.)

It’s all about taking control

Reading this page may have left you feeling paranoid. You might suddenly feel like every familiar thing you ever used, touched or wore, without so much as a second thought, was out to get you. But my aim in sharing this information was not to alarm or depress you, but rather to empower you.

For years I was so concerned with trying to find a cure for my vitiligo that I never gave prevention much thought. Eventually, though, it dawned on me that vitiligo recovery isn’t just about taking steps to make it better. It is also about taking steps to not make it worse. And, once I realised how many proactive yet simple steps there are to achieve this, I felt much more in control of my condition. So I hope that, once you have had a chance to process all (or even just some) of these tips on how to avoid contact vitiligo, you will feel the same way and benefit as a result.