Vitiligo: How to cope with vitiligo?
1) Coping up with vitiligo as a patient:
First of all, you need to get convince yourself that vitiligo is not a serious illness. Vitiligo is much less serious than allergy, colds, or asthma, from which over 20% of the world population suffers! Apart from changing your appearance, it does not harm you. Vitiligo is not a serious disease at all. Vitiligo is more of a social disease than a medical disease.
What is more important in managing vitiligo is a positive attitude and correct approach towards leucoderma (vitiligo).
One has to learn not to feel embarrassed, ashamed, depressed, or worried about how others will react to vitiligo.
It is better not to avoid social situations, networking, and parties. Let people around you know once and for all that you have some color problems with your skin. Once they will know it, they will also learn to accept it.
There are many products out there to provide excellent camouflage for vitiligo spots.
Consult a doctor who specializes in dealing with vitiligo cases.
2) Coping up with vitiligo as a parent:
Children usually cope best with vitiligo better when their parents themselves are not over-anxious about it. Your own over-consciousness may create more problems for your child than the actual vitiligo. Learn to overcome that.
Let your child know that vitiligo is a benign skin problem and it is not serious.
Educate your child on how to answer his friends, teachers, and relatives if they inquire about vitiligo. S/he should be taught to answer firmly and carelessly about the insignificant nature of vitiligo.
Communicate with some of the close relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and teachers), informing them about vitiligo and requesting them not to discuss it with your child.
Avoid discussing your child’s vitiligo repeatedly. Moreover, avoid negative discussions about leucoderma (vitiligo) during the child’s presence. Examination of the spots is better done when the child is asleep.
When your child questions you whether anything can be done for this or not, explain to your child that this condition can be treated to a certain extent like any other skin ailment.
Support your child, and encourage him/her to engage in activities and hobbies.
Do not allow vitiligo to interfere with your child’s joy of living and his self-esteem. Do not restrict your child from wearing clothing that may expose some white spots on the skin. Do encourage your child to continue attending social events and other activities like swimming, hiking, sports, parties, etc.
Help your child to boost self-confidence and let vitiligo not come on his/her way of growing as a person. Many parents unknowingly make their children more conscious of vitiligo by panicking about it.
3) Coping up with vitiligo as a citizen (who does not suffer from vitiligo):
Vitiligo is a benign, non-infectious condition of the skin. Those who suffer from it do also suffer from some emotional trauma associated with vitiligo. As civilized people, it is our duty to have a healthy outlook toward those who suffer from Vitiligo.
Do not stare at a person with vitiligo. It is considered bad manners to embarrass anyone suffering from vitiligo!
Do not discuss with the sufferer as to what this is, how did it happen, etc, which might make him feel more embarrassed.
Patients with vitiligo do not need pity or sympathy. They simply need understanding.