“A Mother’s Regret: The Little Girl with White Eyelashes”

When they got home, the mother’s intuition kicked in, and she felt that something might be wrong. So she called Tieu Thien into the room and carefully examined her eyelashes. The more she looked, the more worried she became, as Tieu Thien’s eyelashes were indeed turning whiter. At this point, realizing the situation could be serious, the mother immediately took Tieu Thien to the hospital. After receiving the doctor’s diagnosis, Tieu Thien’s mother was astonished.

The doctor explained that while Tieu Thien only had a few white eyelashes, there were actually many large white spots around her eyes. The reason they hadn’t been noticeable was that the child’s skin was relatively fair, and at this stage, the white spots weren’t too obvious. Tieu Thien was diagnosed with vitiligo, a “difficult-to-cure” disease!

After hearing the doctor’s conclusion, the mother carefully observed the skin around her daughter’s eyes and found that there indeed was a large area of skin that differed from the rest of the skin around her eyes.

In fact, Tieu Thien’s mother knew a little about vitiligo. People with this condition develop white spots on certain areas of their skin, and their hair can also start to turn white. This explained why Tieu Thien’s eyelashes had turned white, as the vitiligo had spread to this area.

Although vitiligo is considered a “difficult-to-cure” disease, it can be effectively controlled. So, after the diagnosis, the doctor prescribed oral medications, topical creams, and phototherapy treatments for the little girl. Tieu Thien was very cooperative with the treatment and diligently took her medications as directed by the doctor. However, vitiligo doesn’t improve that quickly. When Tieu Thien went to school, one side of her eyes had black eyelashes, while the other side still had white eyelashes.

How does vitiligo affect children? These are the three most common ways.

Tieu Thien’s “unusual” appearance worried her mother, who was concerned about the potential negative impact on her daughter. So, how does vitiligo affect children?

– First point: Impact on physical health

After a child develops vitiligo, the affected areas of the skin become more sensitive to sunlight due to the lack of melanin. If sun protection is not properly applied, the affected areas are more prone to sunburn.

Additionally, vitiligo can impact a child’s immune system, leading to a decrease in overall health.

– Second point: Impact on mental health

This has a more significant impact on children, as vitiligo requires long-term treatment. Moreover, the treatment process is relatively “complicated.” It involves not only oral medications but also topical treatments, along with the use of specific medical devices. This can create a more considerable psychological burden on the child, leading to anxiety and even depression.

Furthermore, vitiligo can also result in additional mental pressure from external sources. For example, comments and teasing from others about their appearance can cause psychological distress and lead to feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem.

– Third point: Impact on appearance

The areas of skin affected by vitiligo will be significantly lighter than the surrounding skin, and any hair growing in these areas will also turn white, impacting the child’s appearance.

However, the impact of vitiligo on appearance is not necessarily negative. For instance, Tieu Thien’s classmates didn’t find her appearance “very ugly” but rather “very beautiful.” Because she had white eyelashes on one side and black eyelashes on the other, many of her classmates thought this was “super cool.”

Nonetheless, in most cases, vitiligo does negatively affect one’s appearance, as the affected areas are often asymmetrical, with unpredictable sizes and shapes. As a result, most vitiligo patients struggle with an “unattractive” appearance.

How can we reduce the risk of vitiligo in children? These three points are essential but often overlooked.

– Health damage

Health damage, in this context, refers to various factors such as prolonged exposure to harmful substances, certain illnesses, injuries, excessive sun exposure, and more. Both internal and external injuries can cause damage to melanocyte cells in the affected areas, leading to vitiligo.

Therefore, parents must focus on maintaining their children’s physical health to prevent any harm to their bodies.

– Eating too many snacks

Snacking can indeed cause vitiligo, and it’s a very common reason. However, the issue is not that snacks contain disease-causing factors but that excessive snacking interferes with a child’s regular meals, leading to nutritional deficiencies.

In other words, the real cause of vitiligo in this case is malnutrition. So, parents must establish healthy eating habits for their children to ensure they receive adequate nutrition.

– Excessive mental stress

According to related sources, if a child undergoes excessive mental stress or overworks their brain, they may develop vitiligo.

Consequently, parents should focus on relieving their children’s mental stress. They should avoid forcing their children to study beyond their capacity and instead encourage a balanced approach to learning and resting, ensuring a healthy psychological environment.