Mamta Mohandas is battling vitiligo
(Image source: (L-R) Instagram/mamtamohan and Canva)
Malayalam actor Mamta Mohandas of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ fame has opened up about her vitiligo diagnosis. Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes the skin to lose its color. The actor posted selfies on her Instagram handle, along with the hashtags – autoimmune disease, vitiligo, ‘embrace the journey’ and ‘heal yourself’.
The caption read, “Dear sun, I embrace you now like I have never before. So Spotted, I’m losing color… I rise even before you every morning, to see you glimmer your first ray through the haze. Give me all you’ve got.. for I will be indebted, here on out and forever by your grace.”
Friends and fans of the actor showed love in the comments section and called her a “fighter”.
Mamta is a cancer survivor
The ‘Forensic’ actor is a cancer survivor and has battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma since 2009. In 2013, the actor had a relapse of the cancer and underwent treatment in Los Angeles.
In a 2014 interview, she told Times of India, “Well, I can’t say I have been as strong as I was when I first got the disease. I was a person who never worried about anything, whatever the issue. But for the first time in life, I was scared. It is easy to say, be positive. But this time, I felt it is ok to be scared, to be human.”
“People were talking to me about work, music, but nothing could bring me out of my shell. It was a home-hospital routine for months together, and there were times I would just get up, eat, and go back to sleep. I would talk to no one but my mother all day. It did take a toll on my mind,” she added.
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What is vitiligo?
Vitiligo causes loss of skin color in patches. The condition can affect the skin on any part of the body, including the hair and the inside of the mouth. The discolored areas usually get bigger with time.
Vitiligo can start at any age, but usually appears before age 30. The condition is not life-threatening or contagious. However, it can get stressful to live with this condition and feel bad about yourself. Treatment for vitiligo may restore color to the affected skin but it cannot prevent continued loss of skin color.
Symptoms of vitiligo
Following are the signs of vitiligo:
-Patchy loss of skin color. Usually first appears on hands, face, areas around body openings and genitals.
-Premature whitening or graying of the hair. This includes hair on the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows and/or beard.
-Loss of color inside the mouth and nose (mucous membranes).
What causes vitiligo?
The color of your hair, skin and eyes is determined by melanin. Vitiligo happens when the cells in your body that produce melanin die or stop functioning. Vitiligo can affect people of all skin types. However, it may be more noticeable in people with darker skin tones. It's not quite clear as to what causes these pigment cells to fail or die. It may be related to an autoimmune condition, family history or a trigger event – such as stress, severe sunburn or if the skin comes in contact with a chemical.
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Complications associated with the condition
According to the Mayo Clinic, people with vitiligo may be at increased risk of:
-Social or psychological distress
-Sunburn
-Eye problems
-Hearing loss