Reasons why I love Vitiligo.

Why I have learned to LOVE Vitiligo, you might be thinking how? love a skin disorder that causes someone to be starred at, made fun of and misunderstood? Yes. These are the reasons why!

1. Vitiligo has helped me meet new wonderful people.

2. Vitiligo has let me reach out to others in hope to inspire and educate.

3. Vitiligo has changed my view on beauty, self image and self love.

4. Vitiligo has helped me realize how unique each and every one of us is.

5. Vitiligo has awarded me with pure true friends who love me because of what is on the inside and choose to not judge me about what is on the outside.

6. Vitiligo has helped me mature and learn so many things.

7. Vitiligo has helped bring me out of my comfort zone to talk to new people about this rare disease and show my skin.

8. Vitiligo has brought me closer to God.

9. Vitiligo has not only helped me notice my imperfections but has helped me EMBRACE them, as hard as it may seem to do at times.

So before you start to hate your skin and ask yourself "why me?" think of all of the positive ways Vitiligo has impacted you! Love you all, stay beautiful, stay pure. (I like the sound of that, I might just use it to end off my posts from now on.)

Happy World Vitiligo Awareness Day

OH MY GOSH! I have tried reaching out to a ton of people and it has payed off. Thank you SO MUCH to EVERYONE reading this!! I love you all so much and look forward to sharing new things with you! I was ASTONISHED by the amount of feedback I have received on my Instagram and Facebook! Honestly I used to just ignore it, the vitiligo and I didn't think much about it but since then I have learned SO MUCH and am a better person because of it. I honestly want to inspire people and help them get through this. If by any means you are feeling down or need support or just simply want to talk to me FEEL FREE to email me anytime! I will always reply! Don't be shy! :)


Super thanks to the people who voted in the two polls I have up, I am genially curious to see the results! 

Haha I just realized how much capitalized words there are, I'm just so happy!
I will continue to regularly update this blog so if you would like to continue to see posts from me follow this blog or sign up to receive updates with your email.

Here's my little list of ways to contact me if you are interested :)
Instagram- @my_only_sunshine
Email- yelianacat@yahoo.com

I'll probably make a Facebook page soon :)

One last thing: STAY BEAUTIFUL, stay pure, stay you.

Can you SPOT the difference?

So I recently came across a new Vitiligo spot/patch forming on my face, this is due to the fact my face receives a significantly less amount of UV light because it is sensitive and I use a pillowcase to cover my face for my UV light treatments. If you have Segmental Vitiligo that is not being treated or spreads easily then you may wonder how to tell the difference between a new spot and a disappearing spot. Given that usually Vitiligo only "disappears"  when treated but in some cases your skin may go through a change and suddenly produce color in that area.

New

This is a picture of new Vitiligo spots starting to appear on my face. It is very hard to tell in a picture and may seem undetectable by the human eye in person. Take a closer look, the area's I have (very roughly) circled are areas that the Vitiligo is starting to appear. These area's turn lighter almost cloudy until it forms into a more unified spot. If a person is more fair-skinned it may be harder to detect a new forming spot/patch.

Keep Reading for pictures and explanation. :)

Summer Lovin'

     Its finally Summer and what does that mean here in Texas? Hot hot hot and sun sun sun! But is sun not fun for you because of your Vitiligo? There are plenty of very strong sunscreen's available to prevent sunburn and sun damage. The top two ingredients you should look for when shopping for sunscreen are Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. The optimal sunscreen should contain BOTH!  I've provided a short list of some of the Sunscreen's I have tried out in the past.

Sunscreen's marked with a ** contain both Zinc and Titanium.

Keep Reading! :)

Support Group!

Here's a great idea, join a Vitiligo Support Group!
Support Group's are a great way to interact with people similar to you.

First start off with searching the web for a Vitiligo Support Group in your area, Support Groups usually have meetings and event's for the public to attend and the latest treatments and research.

Can't find a Support Group near you? Here's the link to the International Vitiligo Support Group: http://www.vitiligosupport.org/

Here's the link to Vit Friend's facebook page!
http://www.facebook.com/groups/59746217290/members/A sharing and caring space for VITILIGO people called VITFriends. A place for family and friends of VIT people and those who are interested in learning more about this condition.  

ATTENTION TO EVERYONE IN DFW (keep reading!)

Some Inspiration! :)

                                                                 

 Hey guys here is some inspiration for the day, this beautiful young woman has Vitiligo and shares her view on it in this video. Enjoy!

God Tattoos

What is Vitiligo?

 Vitiligo (vit-ill-EYE-go) is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes (the cells that make pigment) in the skin are destroyed. As a result, white patches appear on the skin in different parts of the body. Similar patches may also appear on both the mucous membranes (tissues that line the inside of the mouth and nose), and the retina (inner layer of the eyeball). The hair that grows on areas affected by vitiligo may also turn white.

 I'm Yeliana, I love animals and ballet, I'm Venezuelan but I was born and raised in Texas, now had I been introducing myself in real life you would have already noticed, I have Vitiligo. I am not ashamed by this fact, it just is what it is. I wear shorts in the summer and long sleeves in the winter like your average teenage girl. Do people talk? Yes. Do I let it negatively affect my life? Absolutely not! I see Vitiligo as an opportunity to reach out to people, an opportunity to inspire. A learning experience. It redefines the lines of beauty. I'm here to share with you my journey and discoveries so please follow along :)