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Stains on your hands? Watch your thyroid
Research shows that people with many vitiligo spots on their hands are at greater risk of thyroid disease. This risk increases even more if there are also spots on ankles and elbows.
This is what Prof. Dr. Nanja van Geel, dermatologist in Ghent, said this week at a meeting organized by the SNIP (Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders Foundation) in the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam. She advised the dermatologists present to be alert to thyroid failure in patients with vitiligo on hands, ankles and elbows.
It was previously clear that vitiligo patients more often have a thyroid disorder than people who do not have vitiligo. What is new is that it mainly concerns vitiligo patients with spots on the hands, ankles and elbows.
Genetic predisposition
Nanja van Geel is an expert in the field of vitiligo. She has been researching this skin condition for years. In an extensive interview in Spotlight! No. 1 of this year, the magazine of the LVVP, she talked about her research into the genes involved in the development of vitiligo. This has shown, among other things, that people with vitiligo often have a genetic predisposition to autoimmune diseases, including thyroid disorders, but also type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. It also turned out that more than 30 percent of vitiligo patients have a family member with vitiligo. Yet the chance that a child whose parent has vitiligo will develop the same disease is no greater than 6 percent.
Members of the LVVP receive the magazine Spotlight! four times a year. For 26 euros per year (2016) you can become a member and support the work of the patient association. More information about membership
I think I belong to that group too, my hands are almost white. But I don't have any problems. Should I rush to the doctor now?
I have already been tested for a thyroid condition and fortunately I did not have one. I do have vitiligo on my hands, elbows and ankles. Do I need to test again now? It's been 18 years. Kind regards, Jolanda Banens
I have
vitiligo very much on hands and elbows
and indeed an underactive thyroid gland.
@Nettie Roes
If your body has already developed an autoimmune disease (your body's own cells are seen as invaders and are destroyed), it is more likely that more cells will be seen as foreign. People with vitiligo have a slightly greater chance of developing another autoimmune disease, such as thyroid disease. This certainly does not mean that all vitiligo patients develop another disease.
An example:
If, for example, 2% of people in the average population have a thyroid disorder, you will see that within the group of vitiligo patients more people have a thyroid disorder.
Research has now discovered that within the large group of vitiligo patients, those who have spots on their hands, elbows and ankles are slightly more likely to have thyroid disease than the 'average' vitiligo patient.
If you are not bothered by anything, are not tired, have no hair loss or other complaints that may be related to a thyroid disorder, you do not need to rush to the doctor.
But if you do have unclear complaints, consider that there may be another autoimmune disease that the doctors may not immediately think of.
That's the only warning in the story.
The association still receives stories that people have suffered from complaints for years and the GP or specialist did not think of a simple blood test to rule out an autoimmune condition. They want to make members alert, not unduly worried.
@Jolande Banens
If you do not feel at all that you are inexplicably tired or have other complaints, and if you do not have any family members who have a thyroid disorder, then you should not rush to the doctor either. If you have your blood checked and you are a little worried, ask if your thyroid function can be checked at the same time. Tell this story and say that you would like to have certainty.
I also have it on my hands and elbow, I have been going to the doctor for a while now about my thyroid, it is slightly elevated. Yesterday I took another blood test, the results will be available in 3 days.
My underactive thyroid was first discovered and a year later vitiligo appeared.
And indeed my hands and elbows are where I have it the worst.
I actually have Vitiligo in the indicated places and turned out to have Hashimoto's. I suffered from hair loss for years and was always cold. I found out after an examination of goiter found malignant cells. As a result, the entire thyroid gland had to be removed and pathological examination revealed the diagnosis of Hashimoto's.
My brother has Vitiligo and Diabetes.
Our grandfather had Vitiligo, grandmother had Thyroid/Goiter and mother had Rheumatism.
So there is indeed a connection.
When is it necessary to have this checked by a doctor? I also have vitiligo most often on my hands, elbows and feet.
Hello Heidi,
My daughter Isa is 12 years old and has had vitiligo for 3 years,
my brother has a thyroid disorder and Isa has been experiencing hair loss for several months!
How did they find out that you had that disease?
what can I do to help her and is there a treatment for this?
Isa goes to Hilversum for light therapy every 3 months and some spots of pigment return, it will never go away completely, but we hope to get rid of new white spots.
for such a young girl, these kinds of changes in appearance are difficult to accept.
hope for a response from you.
Greetings Claudia
Is it necessary to have your thyroid checked annually? I already had it checked and it was fine.
Vitiligo is very common in our family, seems hereditary and much more than that 6 % I think…. My grandfather had it, my father also had severe vitiligo and I also have vitiligo all over my body (including on my hands, ankles and elbows!!) and our son is already covered in vitiligo...
I also developed diabetes and rheumatic complaints, which my mother also has, so there is indeed a connection.
Another question: does anyone know a self-tanning cream that lasts well? I used to just have nut cream from 't Kruidvat, but that no longer works, different composition I think.
I have had vitiligo for two years and have been a thyroid patient for five years. I also have another autoimmune condition. My body makes antibodies against vitamin B12, this is one of the most important vitamins we need because it keeps your central nervous system intact and ensures the production of red blood cells. I have been injecting vitamin B12 for seven years. the various autoimmune disorders are related, hopefully I will remain free from even more autoimmune disorders such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. Staying positive is a very good attitude to life.
It also runs in our family, vitiligo, diabetes 1, thyroid disorders, and addison's. All autoimmune diseases. in my family, 3 people with diabetes. My sister has diabetes, her daughter too and also vitiligo.
I am a 55 year old woman. % years ago I got a seriously itchy spot on my right hand and that was the beginning of vitiligo. It was also discovered at that time that my thyroid gland was working too slowly. Meanwhile, half my right arm is white, my head has white spots and my neck, chest and neck are very spotted. My lower legs and feet are also starting, as well as my left arm. Very extensive in the last 2 years.
Where and when does it stop!!!
Joske
Hello Marijke,
I have had vitiligo since I was 6 years old and am now 51. You can say that I am an expert by experience. In the summer I always use the regular tanning creams from the more expensive brands. These smell less strong (lóreal, shhisheido etc)
For me this is an important criterion. These last a few days and I use them after exfoliating.
I am now no longer spotty white but almost uniformly white on the front and I now finally have less trouble with the transition between the spots.
Success with it.
I also have white spots all over my body and half of my face is almost white and the rest is brown, but this can be somewhat concealed with camouflage cream.
But it remains something annoying. They always look at you and children sometimes ask if I have a cowhide, which is hard.
I am the only one in the entire family with an underactive thyroid and vittiligo. Does anyone have experience with various herbal creams from abroad? The UV treatments did not work for me.
I have large white spots mainly on my right hand. My left hand also participates happily. Many white spots are already appearing on my arms (also more on the right). Just below my neck at the level where your necklace hangs, there are already white spots that are nice and bright pink in the summer. My face around my eyes, especially above my eyebrows and forehead, no longer looks good. The process also continues happily on my feet near my toes. I feel like a reverse Dalmatian and I'm starting to feel ashamed of it. I also have very thickened joints and my thyroid does not seem to be 100% in order. But no one does anything with it. What should I do now?
I'm 51 and I totally recognize it. Then people dare to say that it is not noticeable... I don't know what to do with it either. In winter it is not so bad, but as soon as spring starts and with the smallest rays of sun the misery starts all over again and is even worse than the year before. I'm really going to the doctor again tomorrow for the umpteenth time in the hope of being referred to a dermatologist.
I was recently diagnosed with vitiligo by a dermatologist (fortunately only on my hands). I have been very tired for a long time so this message also made me want to have my thyroid tested. I just really had to beg the doctor to get a blood test. It worked, so now we just have to wait and see.
Does anyone have experience with trying a corticosteroid ointment for the fingers/hands? According to the dermatologist, there is no therapy possible for vitiligo on the hands.
Unfortunately, the cream does not help on the hands, but it does help on the face.
Hello Claudia,
Certainly not nice for such a young girl. Although I don't think it's fun for anyone. I had discovered a goiter, after which an ultrasound, blood test and a puncture followed. After total removal of the thyroid gland (due to thyroid cancer), Hashimoto's was discovered. So if you suspect that you have a thyroid problem, you could have a blood test done by your doctor. Which treatment is successful varies from person to person.
Good luck
Petra, you are the first person I meet who has the same thing as my son.
My son has had vitiligo since he was 1 year old, hashimoto's since he was 9 and since the beginning of this year he has been receiving B12 injections for which I had to fight a lot because the doctors thought the values were good! He is now 12 years old and can do everything again, but he has missed a lot at school... been sick a lot... been sick, etc. In short, he had quite a struggle and if I had not been so stubborn by starting with B12 injections, he would probably have lived longer. lying in bed than in the school desks.
Hello,
I am 20 years old and have had vitiligo since I was 6. The spots are almost invisible.
I have small spots all over my body. Maybe with 8% there is something all over my
body is white. I am tired very often myself, but from a blood test
It turned out that I have glandular fever. I was actually only tested for that.
Should I also have my thyroid checked now?
I have also had vitiligo for years and have benefited greatly from a cream called Protopic for the spots on my face. In combination with sun, the white spots on the face are completely repigmented. It works less well for the rest of the body. Also did a lot of camouflage. I have now discovered spray tan. The spots are now virtually invisible. However, it must be repeated every week and in the meantime I mark the spots with the self-tanning lotion. I now have a spray tan machine myself and I want to let people discover that it really works well! I can also say from my own experience that I can camouflage better than many professionals. This is because I am an expert by experience. I also have other remedies that work very well. For information, consult my site http://www.salonsoleil2000.nl.
Added an incorrect link by mistake: the site is
http://www.salonsoleil.nl
I've tried everything for camouflage for years. Sometimes you want to look well-groomed or somewhat “normal”. Now there is Marc Ibane Spray also known from Roy Donders.
The only tanning spray that adapts to your own skin color, perfect for my half-white hands. Lasts for 3 days, I spray it in the sink then put it on a cotton pad and rub my fingers but not on the joints otherwise you get too much color there, finally a solution 40 euros large bottle,
Marc inbane spray is transparent and I see no difference with my brown skin. If you have many stains, you can camouflage them with a cotton swab with the liquid that you spray in the sink, for example, and then repeatedly tap on the white spot, dabbing with a clean cotton ball if it is too dark. For large stains you can spray once or twice. I am “normal” again for 3 days. Very nice if you are going to a party and you want to look well-groomed. Other vitiligo make-up looked like a plastic layer.
Hi Lies. How long did it take before you got results with Protopic? What strength did you have and how often did you apply? Do you have to keep applying it to keep it away and in the sun? Instructions for use say stay out of the sun?
Kees, it took several months for the spots to completely repigment. It started with a brown dot and more and more came, the brown also increased from the edges. I had the regular protopic, not the one for children. And it is precisely the combination with UV that is important. Although the leaflet says to stay out of the sun, don't do that. Protopic is definitely worth a try, especially for the face. I'm curious how you are doing. Good luck!
I have vitiligo and also hashimoto