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Forum -> Children's Health
Vitiligo



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amother


 

Post Wed, Sep 17 2014, 8:31 pm
Already a few weeks ago DH was noticing how his (pretty dark) skin had some enlarging white patches on it. I pretty much diagnosed it as vitiligo, and just today a dermatologist confirmed this. Ok, so b"h this disease is not painful or dangerous, but it can be disfiguring and cause serious mental distress. Dh and I are ok, though nervous, but handling it completely fine.
Then a few hours after the doctor confirmed the diagnosis, dH pointed out some lightening skin on 6 y.o. DS's face. And then I remembered how his right leg had looked kind of splotchy throughout the summer, but I just kept assuming that it's related to uneven sun exposure. But vitiligo has a genetic component. And now we are sure that this DS has it too. And his case looks to be pretty extensive already.
For a young kid, this can be pretty traumatic. Especially since he is dark-skinned where it shows up more. And it is sure to spread and get worse. There is the issue of body image, of being teased by cruel classmates, or people avoiding him thinking he is contagious, and then the eventual problem of shidduchim, both for him and for his siblings.
I'm starting to get a little nervous. I'm not someone who is into externals, so it's not like I'm mourning the ruination of his pretty face (yes, it's starting to appear on his 6 year old face) but more the psychological and social impact, and ridiculously the way this now familial genetic disease is going to play into shidduchim for him and the rest of my kids.
Have any of you dealt with this? What did you do? How did it go?
Thank you.
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amother


 

Post Thu, Sep 18 2014, 9:03 pm
my father has it and is a bit self-consious about it but I never understood why. I barely noticed it.

also I don't know if you watch tv but Americas next top model has a black contestant with vitiligo and everyone thought it was so cool.

the best thing you can do is not focus on it and respond positively when your son or other kids ask about it, so that he has a positive attitude about it and other people will see that confidence and take a cue from him.

as far as shidduchim, it could be a positive thing because it will weed out all shallow, materialistic kind of girls.
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