Clear, soft and beautiful skin is a dream that everyone has. It catches attention instantly and allows one to carry themselves with utmost confidence. Its biochemistry and health are regulated by a number of factors including melanin, a pigment responsible for the natural colours of our skin, eyes, and hair. Disturbance with melanin production or quality can lead to the formation of discoloured patches on the skin. Leucoderma or vitiligo is a disease that involves a gradual loss of melanin. In Ayurvedic texts, the problem is known as Shweta Kushta or Shwitra.
Leucoderma is a chronic skin disorder that causes the formation of white patches on the skin. Conventional medicine looks at this problem that is progressive in nature. It tries to arrest the progress of this disease with steroids that have their own side effects. Also, there is no guarantee that intake of such high amounts of steroids will stop or degrade the progress of vitiligo. Leucoderma Ayurvedic treatment, on the other hand, resolves this problem through natural treatments and medicines. It is a preferred and accepted approach to this disease as it doesn’t leave any side effects and promises effective results. There are many who deem it as the best treatment for leucoderma as it arrests the development of white patches and provides long-term relief.
Types of Leucoderma
Based on the location and pattern of white patches, Leucoderma is divided into two major types:
- Segmented Vitiligo: It is a stable form of vitiligo that spreads with great speed. The formation of patches is asymmetrical and has impacts some distinct parts of the skin that are closely linked to nerves. Segmental vitiligo patches originate at the dorsal roots with the spinal cord.
- Non-segmental Vitiligo: It is the more unstable kind of vitiligo but leads to the formation of symmetrical patches on various body parts like the face, neck, and arms. It mostly happens in the parts that are exposed to the sun frequently.
Causes of Leucoderma
The real or exact cause of leucoderma is yet to be known. But years of observation and research explains that when normal cells and tissues are attacked by the immune cells, it results in the destruction of the former. Constant emotional distress and sunburns are some of the other common reasons mentioned for leucoderma. Some believe that it is an inherited disease that is passed across generations through genes.
Ayurveda recognizes this disease as a vitiation of Pitta dosha. Aggravated pitta dosha leads to the release of high heat inside the body that starts manifesting under the skin leading to the formation of white patches. When the heat increases in various parts of the body, it starts accumulating toxins (ama) in the most internal layers of the skin which starts interfering with the production process of melanin. These toxins then seep into blood and start manifesting in other parts of the body leading to the formation of white patches here and there.
As for pitta aggravation, it is caused by the consumption of unhealthy food that is hard to digest. Undigested food leads to the deposition of toxins due to undigested food in the body. When the extent of these depositions increases beyond the permitted or bearable limit, it releases a lot of heat that then causes other reactions.
White Patches Treatment in Ayurveda
As Ayurveda identifies aggravated pitta as the root cause of this disease, all its efforts, remedies, therapies, and medication work to pacify increased pitta. Pitta has many types, but bhrajak pitta is closely involved with skin colour. Therefore, Ayurvedic medicines for leucoderma focus on bringing the bhrajak pitta back to its natural state. When bhrajak pitta returns to its natural form, the original skin colour is restored.
Alongside, Panchakarma therapies like body massages and lepam are used to detoxify the body systems. They improve the skin texture by clean it deeply to restore the natural colour of the skin. Ayurveda also recognizes improper digestion as one of the primary causes of leucoderma. Therefore, the treatment also involves proper cleaning and maintenance of the digestive system. Medicines like Triphala are used to restore the digestion process and detoxify the intestines. Diet simplification and lifestyle modifications also form an essential part of Ayurvedic treatment for leucoderma. Patients are advised to stay away from spicy, junk, fried, and heavy food items. They need to reduce the strain on their digestive system by including fibrous, vegetables, and fruits in their diet. Regular exercise is also recommended to maintain healthy blood and oxygen circulation throughout the body.
Measures To Prevent Leucoderma
- Leucoderma patients must increase their intake of homemade and natural food.
- Excess consumption of cold and hot drinks must also be avoided.
- If the patient is suffering segmental leucoderma they must stay away from overexposure to sunlight.
- Indian gooseberry or amla is highly recommended for the restoration of melanin in the skin. Therefore, leucoderma patients must work to include amla in their diet in any form be it juice, candy, pickle or just raw.
- If the person is leading a very hectic life, they must take things easy and reduce the stress.
Home Remedies for Leucoderma
Along with topical applications, medication, lifestyle and diet changes, Ayurvedic doctors also suggest some home remedies for leucoderma. These remedies are used to alleviate the effects and symptoms of the disease. Patients are advised to increase their consumption of bitter-tasting vegetables like bitter gourd. Ayurvedic texts suggest that consumption of dissimilar edibles like milk with curd or sour food with milk causes skin problems like leucoderma. Therefore, it strongly suggests against it.
Meditation, yoga, and adequate sleep are some of the other things suggested for relief from leucoderma. All these activities help in relieving stress and pacifying the aggravated energies of the body. A proper balance of work and relaxation can really help in keeping the accumulation of toxins under the skin at bay. A relaxed schedule can be of great help in keeping such problems at an arm’s length.
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