DS with vitiligo...

[Tickle]

My ds has vitiligo - he is four next week, and blond and pale skinned, but it's weird to say that we didn't really notice it til a month or so ago.

I feel like a very bad mother - I always thought the darker pigmentation bits on his neck were more sort of birthmarks, or where he had caught a bit more sun than elsewhere. But if you put him in good light you can really see a line.

We were at the doc's for other things (he has exczema behind one knee) so he had to strip off and I could see he also has stripes of pigmentation down the back of his legs. Our bathroom if not very brightly lit, so I had never noticed it when he was in the bath etc, and just kind of assumed it was dirt when he runs around in shorts!

Is it the kind of thing they grow out of, or will it get worse? The doc was v dismissive, saying, oh yes, that's vitiligo. One moment she said there was nothing we could do about it, then in the next breath she said that a few good sunny summers should sort it out.

I'm worried that if it stays forever, he will be very conscious of it as a teenager... and his face is very pale - does that mean he should wear sunblock at all times??

Any advice appreciated!

[zebra]

I had an adult friend with vitiligo, his dark patches (he was swarthy complexion, anyway) would come and go at random. We laughed about it. It doesn't have to be that bad..

[MummyToSteven]

my gran had vitiligo on her arms and face - i think she would tend to cover it with make up on her face. i have a very small patch or two of vitiligo on my arms and legs - which I just ignore. I think if your ds ignores it, that is probably the best option, otherwise if he is bothered by the appearance, I think that the Red Cross have got a particular expertise in camouflage make up. i'm pretty sure that my gran who had some vitiligo on her face didn't wear sunblock at all in the UK.

hope someone comes along soon with some more up to date advice

[Tickle]

Thanks folks - his isn't that noticeable at the mo, as he is so pale - but I am worried about the sunblock thing - cos pigment is supposed to be the skin's protection, and if it's not there...?

[Tinker]

Tickle - my mum's next door neighbour developed vitiligo in his 50's. He now stays out of the sun completely and uses sunblock. He was quite tanned though and loved the sun. I think if you are pale it woudln't be so noticeable. But, yes, I would use high factor sun creams/sun block since, as you say, pigment is the sun's protection

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

One of my friends has vitiligo. It's on her hands, lower part of face and neck.

It's not noticeable unless you are really peering at her IYSWIM. She uses a sunblock in summer, this stops the contrast between the vitiligo patches and the rest of her skin becoming noticeable. If she goes away somewhere hot, she obviously takes her sunblock.

She is pale, but it really doesn't seem to be a problem, in fact her skin looks great because she takes care in the sun etc. She's had it since childhood, but didn't start using block until she was 20 or so (after a holiday where she sat out in the sun too much without adequate sun protection which does tend to make the vitiligo more obvious).