There's No Crying At Costco

The Science

I'm actually not gonna get too into this, since it can be explained pretty simply. Basically, vitiligo is an autoimmune disease where the melanin in the skin (what gives it color) decide to attack each other, therefore killing it and creating patches of colorless skin.

A misconception is that the patches are random over the body. Most often they aren't! There are different types of placement.

My vitiligo is acrofacial. My entire face is colorless, and I have spots on my extremities. It's good to follow these guidelines, though we can have a couple of spots outside of the main areas.

The Development

Vitiligo doesn't have a set cause. It can be anything from family genes, to a reaction from the autoimmune system getting frequently attacked (mine developed because of repeated cases of strep. It sucked). It can develop at any time, too! Mine developed when I was in middle school, and I know people who've had it present in their 40s. Often times people aren't born with it, though, and it comes on later in life.

Vitiligo also spreads. It often starts small, and continues to develop throughout life. It doesn't spread in pretty, rounded patches all the time either. Commonly, vitiligo has a large patch, with the outside edges fading into what looks like the opposite version of freckles.

Vitiligo can appear on anyone, it doesn't discriminate! Although it looks cooler on darker skin, it appears and is quite visible on lighter skin as well. It's also important to note that these patches are not just lighter versions of the original skin color!!!!! The patches lose color completely, other than blush and such from blood flow, making people look ultra pale white.

The Care

It can't be cured in any way, and it's relatively harmless. If it spreads to the eyes, though, people will lose sight. The most we have to do is be careful when we are outside. Melanin is what the skin uses to protect us from the sun, and people with vitiligo are losing that protection! Sunscreen is a must for every outing, and being outside for a long time requires hats and clothing that covers the majority of the body.

My Opinion

Please take this part lightly, lol. It's all my own opinion about what I don't really enjoy seeing with vitiligo characters. You can do whatever you wish with your characters!!

Something that I'm not a huge fan of is 'cute' or 'pretty' placement of the spots. This is something that can make people very insecure, and personally something about putting it in places that make the character look cooler rubs me the wrong way. We don't control where it spreads.

Along with that, I think it's a little weird to make the vitiligo shaped certain ways and shapes. Don't get me wrong, it can happen. For a moment one of my spots looked like a heart before it grew bigger, but I dunno. I think it's a little weird for the same reasons as the one previous.

Last one is when vitiligo aids or does something with that character's magical power. I wish it was real!!!! All I got from this is a heightened risk for skin cancer and a hatred of sunscreen :((.