Last Updated on 12th August 2023 by Caroline Haye
What’s your trigger?
A lot has been written about the possible causes of vitiligo. Scientific and lay publications on the subject often point in apparently contradictory directions. Some research points to a genetic cause, some to autoimmune involvement, others to oxidative stress, others to trauma… While some suspect digestive disorders and yet others environmental factors. Confused yet? I’m not surprised! Vitiligo susceptibility is not a simple topic. But it’s one worth exploring. Because discovering your particular triggers can really help you keep your vitiligo under control.
The more I read, the clearer it becomes to me that none of these theories is mutually exclusive. In fact, they all build up a picture of vitiligo causation that starts to make sense. Although different researchers come at the problem from different angles, there is a pretty good consensus on one point. Namely, that there are multiple causes and processes involved in the development of vitiligo… And that, in many cases, two or more of these need to occur in order for depigmentation to result.
It’s in the genes – but not ALL in the genes
The first of these factors is genetic. Some individuals have vitiligo genes, meaning that these are the people who are likely to develop vitiligo some time during their life. Typically, this will happen when they encounter certain environmental triggers. These triggers create an autoimmune response in the genetically susceptible person which causes the body’s immune system to attack its own melanocytes, resulting in lost pigment.
That much seems to be relatively clear. The complicated part – at least from my point of view – is identifying the possible triggers and avoiding them. I mentioned most of the known categories in the opening paragraph of this post but how to avoid all of them is not always a simple matter. Here are some thoughts on each of them in turn.
Genetics
Obviously, there is nothing (yet) that can enable those of us with vitiligo susceptibility genes to change that fact… Which is why avoiding triggers is so important. (However, scientists are working on ways of genetically adapting one of the proteins that contributes to the vitiligo process. And you can read more about this in my blog DNA Injection Could Cure Vitiligo.)
Autoimmune response
There is a limit to what we can do ourselves about a predisposition to autoimmunity. But we can help ourselves by making healthy lifestyle choices, controlling stress, eating healthily and taking exercise. And, again, an important strategy must surely be to avoid triggers.
Oxidative stress
Oxidative stress is a well known trigger and you can do a lot to address it on a daily basis… Through diet and antioxidant supplementation, avoiding irritants and toxic chemicals, pollution and sunburn.
Trauma
Vitiligo susceptibility means that cuts, abrasions, bites, stings, surgery, scratching and wearing tight-fitting clothing can all lead to pigment loss. So it makes sense to reduce the risk of these as far as possible. (Wearing looser-fitting clothing and giving up extreme sports probably being the easiest of these factors to control!)
Digestive disorders
Whilst some people have digestive abnormalities from birth, others acquire them as a result of poor diet, stress, unhealthy lifestyle, food sensitivities or allergies… All of which can be managed to some extent. Low stomach acid and microbiome imbalances are also quite common among vitiligo sufferers and, once diagnosed, can be treated successfully. Poor absorption is often the result of these disorders. And this is why supplementation may be necessary, as well as dietary improvements.
Environmental factors
There is a lot we can do to minimise known environmental triggers. And yet the only one of these that most dermatologists mention to their vitiligo patients is sunburn. They rarely mention that contact with many common chemicals is a risk factor. I find this rather shocking, given that many of these chemicals are present in so many day-to-day products… For example, most household cleaning products, personal care items and in many fabrics and dyes.
Protecting yourself from vitiligo triggers
Look after your insides
I realise I have no control over genetics and limited control over my tendency to autoimmunity. But there is a lot I can do to reduce oxidative stress, trauma, poor digestion and exposure to harmful substances.
My dramatic re-pigmentation after adopting a nutritional supplementation programme is proof enough for me that nutrition can be both a positive trigger as well as a negative one. And, since then, I have also learned that choosing the foods I put on my plate more carefully is also important in avoiding damaging digestive issues like unhealthy gut flora. (See Eating For Vitiligo Recovery.)
Protect your outside
And ever since then I have also become much more aware of the need to avoid environmental risks too. I now look closely at the labels on the household and personal care items I buy and the fabrics I come into contact with.
I have blogged on this topic several times before. But I want to highlight it again because doctors rarely talk about environmental triggers for vitiligo. So there may be a lot of people out there who have vitiligo and are unaware that the products they use on a daily basis could be causing new patches of depigmentation or making existing patches worse.
Shop wisely
Given that I have a genetic predisposition to developing vitiligo, I realise that I shouldn’t expose my skin to the same high street brands of highly chemically processed products that most people seem to be able to use without any apparent ill effects. Switching from commercial hair dyes and other potentially harmful beauty products to natural alternatives was one of the first things I did once I became aware of the dangers.
Then I started to think about the importance of selecting fabrics that did not contain potentially harmful chemicals (like many commonly-used dyes and synthetic fibres). After all, our skin is in contact with the clothes we wear all day. And then it touches the fabric of our bedding all night. So, unless we live in a nudist colony and sleep standing up, we are in direct contact with fabrics 24/7.
Vitiligo Store products that can help
This is why I decided to include therapeutic and protective, dermatological clothing and bedding in Vitiligo Store and why, having researched, sourced and tested the best products available, I would recommend them to anyone with a susceptibility to vitiligo, or indeed any chronic skin condition.
The first item I tried out myself was Dermasilk gloves as I felt my hands were a priority because:
a) they are repeatedly coming into contact with household products, detergents, etc.
b) maybe worse still, they are in regular contact with rubber gloves*
c) they are one of the most common sites for developing vitiligo, and
d) they are one of the hardest parts of the body to re-pigment.
Note
*I now wear these comfortable, soothing gloves inside my rubber gloves for all household chores which has reduced my skin exposure to harmful chemicals to zero, including those toxic ingredients in the rubber gloves themselves.
Not surprisingly, the way my hands feel inside the therapeutic gloves is the complete opposite of how they used to feel when I wore rubber gloves on their own. Instead of feeling hot, sticky and irritated (I regularly used to feel as if my rubber gloves were biting me – like an insect… has anyone else experienced that?) and emerging with that nasty warm rubber smell, they now feel cool, comfortable and soothed, however long I wear them, and have no unpleasant smell once removed.
It’s enough to make you want to do housework all day… well, maybe not!!! … but it is certainly a very simple, pleasant and effective way to avoid many of the environmental triggers that I would otherwise encounter on a daily basis.
