Best ayurvedic medicine for vitiligo

There are a number of reasons behind the popularity of Ayurveda in western countries. One such reason is its ability to treat or relieve the symptoms of diseases which modern-day medicine still can’t figure out. One such disease is Vitiligo.

Vitiligo, also known as Leucoderma, is a skin disorder that affects roughly 0.5% – 1.5% population of the world. The condition may be more noticeable in dark-skinned people; however, it occurs with roughly similar frequency in all ethnic groups. In this post we will take a good look at Vitiligo, its possible causes according to ayurveda and of course its treatment through herbs.

Table of Contents:

• What is Vitiligo?
• What causes Vitiligo?
• Other causes of Vitiligo
• Ayurvedic view on Vitiligo
• Symptoms of Vitiligo
• Types of Vitiligo
• Is Vitiligo contagious?
• Does Vitiligo cause pain?
• Best Ayurvedic medicines for Vitiligo
• The Bottom Line

What is Vitiligo?

Vitiligo is characterized by loss of skin color in patches. In other words, Vitiligo causes white patches on skin, which may spread to the entire body over the course of years. Contrastingly, it may also completely stop expanding for months or years after making a brief appearance.

What causes Vitiligo?

The scientific research and studies conducted thus far suggest that vitiligo is an auto-immune disorder, wherein the body’s immune system starts to misfire and attack the healthy skin cells of the body, mistaking them for pathogens such as virus, bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc.

Our skin is made up of many types of cells, including melanocytes, which provide skin its pigmentation through a chemical called melanin. Vitiligo occurs when the immune system starts to destroy these melanocytes, mistakenly considering them as harmful invaders. The condition is more common in women as compared to men.

Other Causes of Vitiligo

Modern-day doctors still can’t pinpoint a single specific cause for this condition. As a result, the research so far lists the following possible triggers for vitiligo, besides an auto-immune disorder:

1) Neurogenic factors: Sometimes substances that act as toxins to melanocytes may be released at nerve endings in the skin.
2) Genetic factors: Roughly 30% of people battling this condition have an immediate family member suffering from it. This figure indicates that genes may play a role in the development of this condition overtime.

Notably, extreme episodes of physical and emotional stress could also trigger the condition.

Ayurvedic View on Vitiligo

As you may already be aware, Ayurveda talks about every condition in terms of Vata, Pitta and Kapha doshas.

In Ayurveda, it is believed that vitiligo is caused by the imbalance of all the three doshas, vitiating dhatus- Rakhta, Mamta and Medhas. The traditional healing system refers to vitiligo as Shwetakushta or Switra and classifies it into the category of, of course, Kushta Rogas (skin diseases).

Symptoms of Vitiligo

Vitiligo is diagnosed solely on the basis of a physical examination. No blood test or scan is required to diagnose this condition — this implies that the condition presents itself with visible, unique symptoms such as:

• Loss of original skin colour/white patches on the face, back of the hands, lips, eyes, armpits and genitals
• Hair patches on head may turn prematurely gray or white

This condition can appear at any age, but most of the cases involve individuals in the age group of 10-30 years. Notably, Vitiligo is rare in too young and too old individuals.

Types of Vitiligo

Vitiligo or Leucoderma is generally classified into the following five categories:

• Generalized: This is the most common type of this disorder, wherein macules show up in various places of the body.
• Segmental: When the patches are restricted to a single part of the body (such as the face or the hands) or to a single side of the body.
• Trichome: This type is characterized by a white or colorless centre, followed by an area of lighter pigmentation, which in turn is followed by normal skin.
• Mucosal: This type affects the mucous membranes of the mouth and the genitals.
• Focal: Macules that are confined to a small area and do not spread as per a particular pattern within 2 years, fall under this category. This is a rare type of vitiligo though.
• Universal: Patients who lose pigmentation in 80% of the skin are identified under this rare condition.

Is Vitiligo contagious?

Many people think that this condition can spread by contact. However, this is not really the case. Vitiligo or Leucoderma cannot spread by contact.

Does Vitiligo cause pain?

Fortunately enough, Vitiligo doesn’t cause any pain; however, it can cause some episodes of mild to moderate itching. Furthermore, patients could get painful sunburns on the white patches of the skin; therefore, it is important that patients use sunscreen and wear protective clothing while going out under the hot sun.

Best Ayurvedic medicines for Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a non-curable condition; however, unlike Allopathy which works at providing a uniform color to the skin, Ayurveda tries to either stop or reverse the condition using a variety of herbs and spices. Here are a few ayurvedic medicines which have shown promising results in controlling vitiligo:

1) Caratol-e tablets

Manufactured by Dr. JRK Pharmaceuticals, Caratol-e tablets is a research-backed ayurvedic formulation that apparently increases melanin production, enhances melanin transfer and prevents further destruction of melanocytes. The company’s official website states that invitro study findings have shown that the medicine increases melanin production by 5 times.

JRK pharma website also notes that clinical evaluation of their ayurvedic medicine on 40 patients showed early repigmentation which started from 10th week; and up to 90% repigmentation was observed by the end of 50th week, with a combination therapy of Caratol-e tablet and topical Tolenorm.

2) Tolenorm Ointment

Another quality product by Dr. JRK that tackles vitiligo well is Tolenorm ointment. Besides enhancing skin pigmentation and tyrosinase activity, the ointment also acts as a sunscreen; therefore, preventing white blotches from burring and itching.

The company suggests applying this ointment in tandem with the Caratol-e tablets mentioned above for faster, better results.

3) Shuddhi Ayurveda Vitiligo pack

Shuddhi Ayurveda, led by well-known ayurvedacharya Dr. Manish, applies an all-round approach to treat the root cause of the condition rather than just providing relief from symptoms. The Shuddhi Ayurveda Vitiligo pack comprises of 6  wellness products:

• Dr. Immune tablets
• Vitiligo capsules
• Vitiligo oil
• Shuddhi powder
• 32-herbs tea
• Yoga CD

You can schedule a free consultation with their doctor, before making any purchase.

4) Pigmento by Charak Pharma

Charak Pharma is one of the oldest and most reputed ayurvedic brand. For vitiligo, they offer a formulation known as Pigmento in both tablet and cream form. Pigmento boasts Bakuchi (Psoralea corylifolia) as the primary ingredient, which is well-known for its melanocytes-stimulating action.

Furthermore, the medicine backs other powerful immunomodulatory, antioxidant and skin-enhancing herbs such as Neem, Kutki, Vidanga, Sharapunkha, Vacha and Punarnava.

5) Vitilwel by Sri Sri Tattva

Another trusted player in the world of ayurveda is Sri Sri Tattva. Known for its high-quality products, Sri Sri too offers a medicinal formulation for Leucoderma in the form of Vitilwel tablets.

Vitilwel is a combination of many time-tested anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting and skin enhancing herbs such as Bakuchi, Chitrak, Haritaki, Amla and Nimba.

6) Patanjali Bakuchi Churna

You may have already noticed by now the importance of herb Bakuchi (Psoralea corylifolia), as this herb features in all Vitiligo tablets and creams mentioned above. The last one on our list is a highly affordable churna from Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali brand.

Priced at just INR 23,  Divya Bakuchi Chruna acts as a stimulating agent for melanin producing melanocytes. The herb also acts as a strong detoxifier and cleanser that helps the body get rid of all pathogens such as bacteria, yeast and viruses, which often act as a trigger for many auto-immune diseases.

The bottom line

Ayurveda is a very vast field in itself and offers a safe and better treatment alternative for chronic conditions. While western medicine system has so far struggled to find a cure for auto-immune diseases, herbs have fared better at treating such conditions; this is indeed one of the major reasons behind the popularity of ayurveda in the west.

The ayurveda-based herbs mentioned above have been scientifically proven for efficacy and safety. However, under NO circumstances shall the above-mentioned tablets, ointments and churnas be taken without proper consultation and prescription from a registered health practitioner.