If you have vitiligo, you are not alone. It is a very common skin condition that affects about 1% of the world population. It occurs in all races and genders equally, but can be more noticeable in darker-skinned people.
Vitiligo is a disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. The extent and rate of color loss from vitiligo is unpredictable. It can affect the skin on any part of your body. It may also affect hair and the inside of the mouth.
The cause of vitiligo is not known, but research suggests that it may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress, neural, or viral causes. Vitiligo is not contagious or life-threatening.
Vitiligo is a skin condition. It causes white patches on the skin. They are caused when the cells that make pigment (color) die or stop functioning. Vitiligo can happen on any part of the body. It may affect hair, the inside of the mouth, and even the eyes.
Vitiligo affects all races, but it may be more noticeable in people with darker skin. About half of people with vitiligo start having symptoms before age 20.
The exact cause of vitiligo is unknown. People who get vitiligo often have family members with the condition or other autoimmune diseases such as thyroid disease or alopecia areata (patchy hair loss). These factors suggest that vitiligo may be an autoimmune disease – one in which your immune system mistakenly attacks some part of your own body.
Treatment for vitiligo involves trying to restore color to the white patches of skin or even out skin tone by making the unaffected areas match the white patches. A dermatologist can talk to you about treatment options if you want to try to lessen the appearance of white patches on your skin.
The following information is about vitiligo, a disease where the skin loses its pigment and creates white patches.
Vitiligo is a skin problem that causes white patches on the skin. The patches may be small or large, and can join together to cover much of the body. They usually appear on the hands, feet, arms, face, and lips.
Vitiligo affects people of all racial and ethnic groups.
Vitiligo often starts as a pale patch of skin that gradually turns completely white over several months or years. The hair growing from affected areas may also turn white.
The exact cause of vitiligo is not known. It may be due to many factors including:
* An autoimmune disorder, in which your immune system mistakenly attacks some cells in your body (melanocytes).
* Heredity (having family members with vitiligo).
* Sunburn or stress to the skin.
Although it is considered an autoimmune disorder, doctors are not sure what causes vitiligo. Vitiligo may be caused by:
* Damage to pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) in the skin.
* An autoimmune response that destroys pigment-producing cells (melan
Vitiligo is a disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. The extent and rate of color loss from vitiligo is unpredictable. It can affect the skin on any part of your body. It may also affect hair and the inside of the mouth.
Normally, the color of hair and skin is determined by melanin. Most people with vitiligo have normal-colored hair, although some develop white patches on their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard.
Vitiligo signs and symptoms may include:
Depigmented, or whitened, patches of skin that enlarge over time. These patches are more noticeable on people with darker skin.
Premature whitening or graying of the hair on your scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard.
Loss of pigment in the tissues that line the inside of your mouth and nose (mucous membranes).
Depigmentation that commonly occurs in a symmetrical pattern. Depigmentation first appears on sun-exposed areas, such as hands, feet, arms, face and lips.
Vitiligo can start at any age but often first appears between ages 10 and 30. The condition is most noticeable in people with darker skin.
Vitiligo is a disease in which the skin loses its pigment, causing whitish patches to appear on the body. It happens when the cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning. Vitiligo occurs equally among all races; it affects about 1% of the population and is more noticeable in people with darker skin.
Most doctors and researchers do not know exactly what causes vitiligo, but suggest that it may be an autoimmune disease. In autoimmune diseases, such as vitiligo, the immune system mistakes some part of the body as foreign and attacks it. In vitiligo, the immune system attacks and destroys the melanocytes in the skin. Other possible causes are heredity, a virus, stress, or a trigger event such as sunburn or exposure to industrial chemicals.
Some people have only a few pale patches; others lose much more pigment. The pattern of depigmentation varies from person to person. Some common patterns include:
Focal (one or only a few spots)
Segmental (on one side of the body)
Generalized (diffuse involvement all over)
Mucosal (lips and genitals).
Vitiligo affects about 0.5% of the population worldwide, with a higher incidence in people with dark skin, who may show more prominent depigmentation.[4] While vitiligo is typically acquired after birth and develops over time, about 30% of cases are present at or before birth.[2]
Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which melanocytes are destroyed by the body’s immune system.[8] In some cases this can be triggered by stress, physical trauma, exposure to certain chemicals, or exposure to ultra violet light. The actual cause is unknown. The main symptoms are white patches on the skin, hair and inside of the mouth. There is no cure for vitiligo; however, treatment can prevent further skin depigmentation and attempt to restore pigment to affected areas. There is no single best treatment strategy; therefore, a combination of therapies is often employed.
Vitiligo is a condition that causes the skin’s color to fade or turn white in patches. Vitiligo is caused by the loss of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) in the skin. The skin disorder most often develops on areas of skin exposed to the sun, such as the hands, feet, arms, face and lips.
Vitiligo can also affect hair, causing it to lose its natural color. This condition commonly affects people with darker skin tones and can cause emotional distress.
Treatment options include medications and surgery. In some cases, vitiligo cannot be cured. But treatments may help with symptoms such as discolored skin. Talk to your doctor about treatment options if you have vitiligo.