Vitiligo is a condition that causes the loss of melanin from your skin.
Melanin is the pigment that is responsible for the color of your skin, eyes and
hair. Vitiligo manifests when your melanin-producing cells die or no longer
generate melanin, which causes white patches of skin to appear in the affected
area. Natural herbal treatments may be helpful for your vitiligo. However, herbs
should only be used under the care of a skilled health care professional.
Chinese medicine has been applied to treating vitiligo, and many of the treatments involve combine topical and internal use of psoralea seed extract, rich in psoralens.As with PUVA, there is limited success by this method. However, herbal formulas aimed at treating autoimmune disorders and those aimed at systemic improvements (especially in the blood components) may have a better effect. Reports of successful treatment appear from time to time in the Chinese medical literature and some clinics advertise their treatments with before and after pictures of successful cases. Complex patent herbal medicines and topical applications for vitiligo-aside from psoralea extracts-have been produced by several factories. Some of the Chinese therapies offered are depicted in the following pages, based on their presentation via websites, with editing to improve their clarity. After the descriptions from five clinical sites (in no special order), a summary of the therapies and their effects is provided along with the descriptions found in Chinese medical texts.
Natural Chinese medicinetreatments for vitiligo include katuki, Katuki is an herbal remedy that is commonly prescribed for vitiligo by practitioners of ayurvedic medicine, which is the traditional healing system of India. St. John's wort is used to help reduce the negative health effects of stress, while ginkgo may help retard the vitiligo disease course. Many non-herbal supplements may also be helpful in treating this condition, including vitamin B complex, essential fatty acids and silica.
The theories used for treatment of vitiligo involve general principles of Chinese medical theory. It is proposed that the patient who suffers from this condition has a deficiency syndrome (particularly a blood deficiency and kidney/liver deficiency), which is what allows the person to be susceptible to the skin abnormality. It is also proposed that there is blockage of the circulation of qi and blood, with blockage of the channels of circulation (blood vessels, meridians). Generally, such blockage is involved in diseases that persist and progress, and it is pointed out that blood stasis plays an important role in stubborn cases of vitiligo. It is mentioned that wind or wind-damp contributes to the disease. The general theory of traditional Chinese medicine is that external pathological influences, such as wind, penetrate the skin, particularly via the pores (described as sweat pores or hair pores or hair orifices) to cause disease. Wind is able to penetrate because of the deficiency, and the disease progresses and is retained by congestion and stagnation of qi and blood circulation induced by the wind, damp, and other pathological factors. This description could be applied similarly to eczema, psoriasis, and other skin diseases that arise in one area, and then spread, persisting for years if not effectively treated. Autoimmune processes have been suggested as a contributor to these various persisting skin diseases.
Chinese medicine has been applied to treating vitiligo, and many of the treatments involve combine topical and internal use of psoralea seed extract, rich in psoralens.As with PUVA, there is limited success by this method. However, herbal formulas aimed at treating autoimmune disorders and those aimed at systemic improvements (especially in the blood components) may have a better effect. Reports of successful treatment appear from time to time in the Chinese medical literature and some clinics advertise their treatments with before and after pictures of successful cases. Complex patent herbal medicines and topical applications for vitiligo-aside from psoralea extracts-have been produced by several factories. Some of the Chinese therapies offered are depicted in the following pages, based on their presentation via websites, with editing to improve their clarity. After the descriptions from five clinical sites (in no special order), a summary of the therapies and their effects is provided along with the descriptions found in Chinese medical texts.
Natural Chinese medicinetreatments for vitiligo include katuki, Katuki is an herbal remedy that is commonly prescribed for vitiligo by practitioners of ayurvedic medicine, which is the traditional healing system of India. St. John's wort is used to help reduce the negative health effects of stress, while ginkgo may help retard the vitiligo disease course. Many non-herbal supplements may also be helpful in treating this condition, including vitamin B complex, essential fatty acids and silica.
The theories used for treatment of vitiligo involve general principles of Chinese medical theory. It is proposed that the patient who suffers from this condition has a deficiency syndrome (particularly a blood deficiency and kidney/liver deficiency), which is what allows the person to be susceptible to the skin abnormality. It is also proposed that there is blockage of the circulation of qi and blood, with blockage of the channels of circulation (blood vessels, meridians). Generally, such blockage is involved in diseases that persist and progress, and it is pointed out that blood stasis plays an important role in stubborn cases of vitiligo. It is mentioned that wind or wind-damp contributes to the disease. The general theory of traditional Chinese medicine is that external pathological influences, such as wind, penetrate the skin, particularly via the pores (described as sweat pores or hair pores or hair orifices) to cause disease. Wind is able to penetrate because of the deficiency, and the disease progresses and is retained by congestion and stagnation of qi and blood circulation induced by the wind, damp, and other pathological factors. This description could be applied similarly to eczema, psoriasis, and other skin diseases that arise in one area, and then spread, persisting for years if not effectively treated. Autoimmune processes have been suggested as a contributor to these various persisting skin diseases.
