October 1, 2010

Symptoms & Remedies for White Spots on Face

Posted in Category : Beauty

When the skin loses the pigment melanin that is responsible for determining the color of your eyes, hair and skin, it results in white patches also known as vitiligo or leucoderma. If your skin is exposed to the sun often it could lead to white patches. It most often affects the face around the eyes, nostrils, lips and mouth, hands, arms and legs.

Symptoms

The main symptom associated with white spots on skin is when the skin turns milky-white on various parts of your body. Uncommon signs include a change of color or the loss of color in your retina, premature greying of hair, and discoloration of mucous membranes present inside the mouth.

Home Remedies

There is no reason to worry when you see white spots on your face. There are treatments available that help reduce the white patches. There are several home remedies that are useful to treat white spots that appear on your skin. Listed below are some of the home remedies used to remove white patches naturally. If your skin does not respond to any of the home remedies, speak to your dermatologist.

  • Aloe Vera Gel: Apply aloe vera gel over the affected region; the healing qualities of aloe should help.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Mix a few drops of apple cider vinegar in water and dab a swab of cotton in it to wipe the places where white patches are present. It tends to heal due to the acidity of the vinegar that does not allow any further fungus or bacteria to grow.
  • Basil: Blend basil leaf extract along with lime juice and apply the mixture on the white spots. The combination promotes the production of melanin. You can also apply holy basil oil on the white spots and patches.
  • Cabbage Juice: Cabbage juice is known to be one of the most successful home remedies to help with white spots. Extract the juice from the cabbage and apply it to the places that have spots, let it stay on for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Celery: Eating a single celery stick will help you as it contains psoralens that aid in curing vitiligo. Psoralens help boost the way your skin reacts to sunlight.
  • Copper Jug: Drinking water early in the morning on an empty stomach from a copper jug in which water has been kept overnight is known to help decrease white spots. This is because the copper ions present in the water promote the production of melanin.
  • Fenugreek Seeds: Leave fenugreek seeds to soak in water through the night. In the morning, strain the seeds and use the water to wash your face.
  • Ginger: Chop a tiny portion of raw ringer and rub that on the white spots thrice a day; this helps stimulate your skin. Ginger juice is also known to help heal white patches naturally. Another remedy using ginger is by mixing ginger juice with red clay in a 1:1 ratio to form a blend. Apply the paste on the spots and patches for 20 minutes, before washing it off with cold water.
  • Green Tea: Extract from green tea used on the spots helps to remove them.
  • Honey: A suitable face pack that will help fight the white spots is honey mixed with cinnamon. Another paste that you can use as a face pack is mixing honey, rice powder, sandalwood, and turmeric powder together, and using the mixture all over your face.
  • Radish Seeds: Radish seeds are also known to stimulate the production of melanin in the skin. Powder radish seeds and mix 35 g with 2 teaspoons of vinegar to create a paste. Apply it on the white patches.
  • Turmeric: Use five teaspoons of turmeric powder and blend it together with 250 ml of mustard oil. Use this paste on the patches two times a day. Use it over six months for good results.
  • Vitamin E: Vitamin E oil aids in moisturizing your skin; apply it on your face in the morning and before going to bed in the night.

Tips

Here are five simple tips that should help prevent your white patches from becoming worse:

  • Make sure that you wash your face regularly with a soap that moisturizes your skin. Avoid using soaps that contain chemicals as they will tend to be harsh on your skin.
  • Make sure that you exfoliate your skin and remove the dead cells regularly. Use a scrub that suits your skin.
  • Clean your skin twice a day with a mixture of apple cider vinegar in water to keep bacteria and fungi away.
  • An alternate option to apple cider vinegar is a dandruff shampoo. Dab a cotton ball in the shampoo and wipe your skin with it.
  • Visit your doctor to make sure that the patches are not due to a fungal infection.

References:

  1. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitiligo.html
  2. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Vitiligo/vitiligo_ff.asp
  3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001834/