What about hard to re-pigment areas?

Question

Email question: DID YOU HAVE VITILIGO ON YOUR FINGERTIPS OR TOES AND DID THAT REPIGMENT TOO? I HEAR THAT REPIGMENTATION IS DIFFICULT ON BONY PROMINENCES AND SURGERY MIGHT BE THE ONLY OPTION.

Dear …

Your question about re-pigmentation on bony areas is an interesting one.  Elbows and knees are supposed to be among the most difficult places to re-pigment but mine have done – at last 99.9% anyway (with the odd small white freckle which is not really noticeable).  My fingers and toes seem to have re-pigmented in two different ways, which is quite fascinating.  The first is that areas of them have freckled in the same way as the rest of my vitiligo patches and then partially filled in.  But, at the same time as this freckling, the remaining areas that have not freckled – which were previously pure white – have become a light flesh colour almost as if the pigment is gradually washing back instead of freckling.  I hope that makes sense – it’s quite hard to describe.

All the best …