While there are many treatments available promising to stop the progression or reverse the effects of vitiligo, most are not homeopathic in the true sense of the term. Homeopathic therapy generally follows a law of similarity, using diluted preparations that supposedly reverse a disease process, but when used by a healthy person, produce symptoms of the disease. Non-homeopathic remedies generally involve topical applications that minimize or disguise the disorder. While vitiligo is not harmful in itself, underlying medical conditions may be responsible for the skin condition. When natural remedies, which would include any any available homeopathy for vitiligo, fail to produce satisfactory results, many physicians offer medical alternatives.
The only treatment closely resembling homeopathy for vitiligo is skin bleaching. Though the therapy may produce vitiligo symptoms in individuals having normal amounts of melanin, the procedure does not actually cure the physiological changes that produce symptoms in affected patients. Under the care of qualified professionals, patients apply hydroquinone or monobenzone ointment to normally colored skin patches twice daily. Researchers believe the active chemicals in these products destroy the melanocytes that produce melanin and normal skin coloration.
Over months or years, these chemicals change the color of natural skin to more closely resemble vitiligo patches. Monobenzene may discolor skin on other parts of the body other than the application location, and physicians also suggest that patients using topical monobenzene not come in direct contact with the skin of other people. Both the treated skin and the vitiligo patches, are more susceptible to sunburn, and individuals using skin bleaching ointments must take precautionary measures before going outdoors. Some patients who use skin bleaching agents experience the opposite effect, developing more highly pigmented areas.
Widely recommended dermatological treatments typically do not involve homeopathy for vitiligo. Concealing cosmetics, for example, involve applying sunless tanning solutions to the white patchy areas of the skin. These products provide a more natural overall skin tone, though the coloration generally fades over time as skin cells shed and reproduce.
The herbal preparation ginko biloba is another option that does not involve homeopathy for vitiligo. Commonly used as a memory aid, research suggests that 40 milligrams of the herb, taken three times daily, provides antioxidant properties and regulates the immune system. The patients studied experienced varying results, ranging from cessation of disease progression to repigmentation while undergoing ginko biloba therapy. Some individuals develop vitiligo secondary to stress or autoimmune disorders, and this herbal preparation may correct skin related symptoms. The herb may react with certain over-the-counter and prescription medications, however.
Though the condition may be harmless or hereditary, individuals with symptoms of vitiligo should seek medical diagnosis. Vitiligo can occur secondary to adrenal gland insufficiency, hypothyroidism, or a vitamin B12 deficiency known as pernicious anemia. Treating these conditions may slow or reverse the effects of vitiligo.