Vitiligo

Overview of Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a chronic (long-term) autoimmune disease in which areas of the skin lose pigment or color. This happens when melanocytes, the pigment-producing skin cells, are attacked and destroyed, causing the skin to turn milky white.

In vitiligo, white patches usually appear symmetrically on both sides of the body, such as on both hands or both knees. Sometimes there may be a rapid loss of color or pigment and even cover a large area.

The segmental subtype of vitiligo is much less common and occurs when white patches are only on one segment or side of your body, such as a leg, one side of your face, or an arm. This type of vitiligo often starts at an early age and progresses between 6 and 12 months and then usually stops.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease. Normally, the immune system works throughout the body to fight and protect it from viruses, bacteria, and infections. In people with autoimmune diseases, immune cells mistakenly attack the body's own healthy tissues. People with vitiligo may be more likely to develop other autoimmune diseases.

A person with vitiligo can sometimes have family members who also have the disease. Although there is no cure for vitiligo, treatment can be very effective in stopping the progression and reversing its effects, which can help even out skin tone.

Who Gets Vitiligo?

Anyone can get vitiligo, and it can develop at any age. However, for many people with vitiligo, white patches begin to appear before the age of 20 and may appear in early childhood.

Vitiligo appears to be more common in people with a family history of the disease or in people with certain autoimmune diseases, including:

  • Addison's disease.
  • Pernicious anemia.
  • Psoriasis.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus.
  • Thyroid disease.
  • Type 1 diabetes.

Vitiligo symptoms

The main symptom of vitiligo is the loss of natural color or pigment, called depigmentation. Depigmented spots can appear anywhere on the body and affect:

  • Skin with milky white patches, often on the hands, feet, forearms and face. However, spots can appear anywhere.
  • Hair that may turn white where the skin has lost pigment. It can occur on the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, and body hair.
  • Mucous membranes, for example, inside the mouth or nose.

People with vitiligo may also develop:

  • Low self-esteem or poor self-image due to concerns about appearance, which can affect quality of life.
  • Uveitis is a general term for inflammation or swelling of the eye.
  • Inflammation in the ear.

Causes of Vitiligo

Scientists believe that vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys melanocytes. In addition, researchers continue to study how family history and genes may play a role in causing vitiligo. Sometimes an event, such as a sunburn, emotional stress, or exposure to a chemical, can trigger vitiligo or make it worse.