Scalp

[Neil]

Hi...

I am a vitiligo sufferer of 8 years and am now 42 years old.  The skin discolouration intitially started on the back of my hands and spread in very small coverage areas but right across my body.  An area which depigmented early on was my scalp.  As a result, the hair growing from this area of my scalp is depigmented just like the areas of my body where the skin is hair free.  Consequently, it looks like I am ageing (grey/ white) prematurely, due to the colour.

This is where my challenge lies, because I have been unable as yet to colour it successfully.  When I did colour it, the hair became tinted rather than coloured.  It really gets me down that this whole skin condition cannot be controlled, and you never know where you will see the next white patch.

Do any other members have vitiligo on their scalp, and even if you don't can you suggest any options? - shaving my head is one!, although even with a grade 0, the vitiligo shadow is still visible. 

Any suggestions will be gratefully welcomed.

I am also seeking fellow members who are based in the Bucks/ Berks/ Herts/ Oxon area so we can increase our support networks.

Kind Regards
Neil

[Marv]

Hi Neil

When you coloured it did you do it yourself? Just thinking if you went to a good hairdressers and got it done professionally that you would have much better results. They would match it to you natural hair colour more effectively - with many of the off the shelf dyes they have a lot of red in them which can look artificial. Plus once you have it dyed use a shampoo for coloured hair as many others strip the colour out and fade it fast. Although got to admit I am not talking from experience as have vitiligo pretty much everywhere BUT the scalp!!

Vicki

[Neil]

Hi Vicki,

Thank you for your suggestion.

The one or two hair dressers I have approached, due to their naivety about the condition, did not wish to colour my hair.

I am attending the Vitiligo Open Day on 12th November, and with that, am deliberately growing my hair longer than I usually would do so.  Given the vividness of the whiteness and the large vitiligo coverage on my head, it is not a scenario that I find easy to cope with.  On the day, it will be possible to see the difference between what it will actually be like (Grade 2/ 3) and a Grade 0 (because I will have photos with me), which is how I have been having it more recently.  My wife loathes it because she says it makes me look old.  My response is always - that I don't particularly like it that short, but having it at Grade 0 is the lesser of the 2 evils, i.e. rather than having it cut at a Grade 2 and growing it to a Grade 4.

I am going to and will conquer this one day soon, but I don't know how or when.  I am fortunate that at present I do not have any vitiligo on my face, yet, even though it is patchy across my body.  I am hoping to get a referral for Narrowband UVB treatment for my bare skin further to the encouraging personal account by Peter Cresswell in July's 'Disptaches'.

Neil