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What it means to ladies’ health when the skin of their privates changes colour

 Courtesy

When the skin at the entrance of the vagina begins to change colour, the condition is known as vitiligo of the vulva.

These colour variations in the private parts can cause self-consciousness and embarrassment to the extent of hiding it from your partner and doctor.

The variations appear as painless milky white patches on the skin and due to the location at the vagina’s entrance, they are harder to locate compared to the same condition on the face, arms or legs.

To ascertain that this is not a sexually transmitted disease, or infection, we examine the characteristics, location, and pattern of the patches because vitiligo presents differently.

In vitiligo, the texture of the skin does not change nether does it itch, but the discolouration could spread to other parts of the body, making it more pronounced.

It occurs as a result of the skin pigment-producing cells dying or becoming unable to produce the pigment. There is no known cause for the condition, but it has also been found to be genetic.

The cause of vitiligo is not fully understood, but a combination of auto-immune, genetic and environmental factors have been brought forth to explain this skin condition that occurs in one out of every five members in a family where another person has previously had it.

Another interesting fact on its occurrence is that for patients who report loss of the pigmentation, one out of every 10 has it in their genitals.

It’s especially common in girls below two years, thus a careful inspection of the skin and at the opening to the vagina by a doctor could provide a helpful guide on its treatment to prevent rapid spread.

It occurs in the scrotum of men and vulva in the case of women.

When these patches appear, your body could also be sending a message that you could get diabetes, lupus, thyroid condition or anaemia.

There is no reason to be worried because vitiligo of the vulva is not caused by sexual activity and the affected part is not painful.

However, because we attach a lot of value to skin when it comes to beauty and sexual relations, it may cause anguish and distress to the affected person.

It’s even worse when it appears in genitals of both men and women, negatively affecting their sexual health. However, the condition is only on the skin and is not contagious.

Vulva vitiligo can also be an autoimmune condition, in which your immune system mistakenly produces antibodies against the skin pigment-producing cells and subsequently destroys them.

There are available treatments whose durations vary between six months and two years to encourage the skin pigmentation to grow back, This depends on the age of the patient, extent and pattern of the disease, and the quality of life of the patient.

The texture does not change though we can recommend either steroid or non-steroid creams to moisturize the area and prevent rapid spread of the condition.

Whereas it is hard to treat it using phototherapy due to its unique position in the vagina, further spread can be controlled by applying ointments and taking some oral medications.

Phototherapy, also known as light therapy, uses specific wavelengths of light to help treat vitiligo of other parts of the body and involves an individual getting into a chamber.

The other good news is that if vitiligo has affected your genitals, there is a higher likelihood that your pigmentation will return because this area has hair and lots of blood vessels that encourage the colour to return.

Can I have sex again?

Yes, definitely! But if it gets painful, see your doctor because it could be something else, like cancer for instance.

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