If you think that you would feel better if you were able to conceal your vitiligo, the British Red Cross run an excellent free service provided by highly trained volunteers. Its purpose is to help people to disguise their skin problems. It is called the Skin Camouflage Service and it is available to people with vitiligo by referral through their GP or their dermatologist.

We can send you a leaflet giving full details about this service and can provide a phone number for you to contact your regional service provider.

The photos at the top of the page show how cosmetic camouflage can make a dramatic difference.

Some people prefer to use products which only need to be applied occasionally and do not rub off on clothing. For them fake tans (sometimes called self tanning lotions) can give a longer lasting but less perfect colour.

Unlike skin camouflage, fake tans are not usually able to provide a perfect match with your own skin colour, but they do usually last for about four to six days before they have to be reapplied. They are very useful for large areas of vitiligo and can work on difficult areas where cosmetic camouflage is less effective such as the back of the hands

Unfortunately there is no fake tan that we know of available yet which gives a satisfactory tan to match dark brown or black skin. We understand that suitable products are being developed and we will update our information accordingly.

Fake tans are not available on prescription but some brands are available to Vitiligo Society members at a discount.

The is some evidence that self tanning products that contain Di-hydroxyacetone (DHA) is used more than very occasionally may diminish the effectives of some treatments. This appears to be the case with Pseudocatalase. Products that do not contain DHA are listed on our information sheet.