Last Updated on 1st June 2023 by Caroline Haye
Can you enjoy sunbathing if you have vitiligo?
The past week here in the UK has seen the first really warm spring weather. The lambs in the fields surrounding where I live are frolicking like playful children. The hedgerows are smothered in hawthorn blossom and wild flowers. And I have been sitting out in the glorious sunshine at every opportunity… In T-shirt and shorts, catching some rays. But the words “Here comes the sun!” are not music to everyone’s ears. Not surprisingly, vitiligo sufferers often worry about the effect that UV exposure may have on their skin. Not just because tanning shows up the white patches more clearly, but also in case new areas of skin lose their pigment too.
I used to have the same concerns myself. In fact, my heart sank like a stone whenever I woke up to a sunny day… Which is really sad when you think about it. But now I can’t wait for the long days of summer to arrive. I look forward to the carefree pleasures of basking in the sun. I relish seeing my skin turn freckled and toasty bronze. And the prospect of spending time outdoors fills me with excitement and anticipation.
Well-meaning but outdated advice from doctors
The way I feel now is what motivates me to write my vitiligo blog. I want to pass on my message to others with vitiligo that they should not simply “go home and live with it”, as most doctors still advise. Their well-meaning warnings about staying in the shade and covering up (which I did for the best part of 50 years) is based on outdated and false information. It assumes that vitiligo skin is at greater risk of developing a melanoma. Yet scientists now know that this is the opposite of the truth. Research actually indicates that vitiligo sufferers are three times less likely to develop skin cancer than those with normal skin.
Of course, it is true that de-pigmented skin is generally more prone to sunburn. But moderate sun exposure is perfectly safe. For one thing, it’s a welcome tonic after the long, dismal winter months. For another, it is a crucial source of vitamin D. And, what is more, UV is a vital ingredient in most natural vitiligo therapies. In fact, sun exposure was one half of the equation in my own vitiligo recovery… The other half being the correction of long-term digestive issues and nutritional deficiencies.
So my advice to anyone suffering with vitiligo and dreading the summer – as I used to do – is to rejoice in the sunshine. Yes, be careful not to stay out too long in it, but recognise its power to stimulate new pigment. (For the nutritional part of my treatment, see my Nutrition Summary page.) And take encouragement in the knowledge that, if I could re-pigment after almost half a century, then surely you have a good chance too… Roll on summer!
