I no longer dread the summer due to vitiligo

Last Updated on 20th June 2025 by Caroline Haye

This is a picture of me back in 2010, showing the first few freckles that heralded my re-pigmentation. As you can see, the only areas of normal skin colour were on my shoulders and the outermost portion of my upper arms. Like most people with widespread vitiligo, I always dreaded not, sunny weather because it meant covering up or trying to camouflage my large expanses of luminious white skin. But I’m happy to say that I no longer dread the summer due to vitiligo.

This is me in the summer of 2013.  All the freckles that have been gradually filling in those previously white areas have gradually joined up to the point where I am almost back to an even tan.

After almost 50 summers spent agonising over my disappearing pigment, it is bliss to be able to wear what I want and spend as much time outdoors as I want.

Take heart if you have vitiligo – even if you have had it for a very long time like I did. It does not necessarily follow that you will have it for the rest of your life. You don’t have to just accept it if you don’t want to. People do recover 🙂

Note added in June 2025:

Since first posting this blog in 2013, I have managed to keep all of my new pigment. And, although I still have some uneven areas of skin and some small patches on my feet that have never completely re-pigmented, I no longer have a single area of my body that is completely de-pigmented. Better yet, I continue to prevent my vitiligo from returning. You can read about my self-treatment on the Nutrition Summary page.