Anny Silva: 'The older I get, the less I hide my vitiligo spots'

She was in her thirties when she noticed a spot above her eyelid. Anny Silva turned out to have the skin disease vitiligo. Many obstacles later, at the age of 54 she is proud of it: she no longer does that.

Although there are still difficult days in between.

Anny Silva talks candidly about vitiligo

The skin condition vitiligo is visible by white spots on the skin, where pigment is little to non-existent. But it is much more than that: it also manifests itself in physical problems and years of uncertainty. At least for Anny Silva, who saw a first spot around the age of thirty. It turned out to be vitiligo. The dermatologist quickly sent her home, because vitiligo is not a life-threatening disease. Yet she has encountered many obstacles over the years: “Vitiligo is not just the outside,” says Anny. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which the body produces antibodies against certain organs. In Anny's case it is the skin - but it also manifests itself in other health problems. For example, internists make a link between Anny's skin condition and her anemia, and others with vitiligo suffer from an underactive thyroid or lupus. Much more than just appearance, then.