What Is Vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a skin condition that causes areas of the skin to lose color or pigmentation. It’s not contagious and can occur on any part of the body.

Vitiligo is a skin condition that occurs when the cells that are responsible for your skin color are destroyed. These cells, called melanocytes, no longer produce skin pigment, or melanin, causing areas of your skin to lose color or turn white.

Areas of lost pigment can develop anywhere on your body, 

• sun-exposed areas, like the hands, feet, arms, and face
• inside the mouth or other mucus membranes
• nostrils
• genitals
• back of the eye
• within the hearing system of the ear
• Your hair may also turn gray or white if the areas involved have hair.

Even though vitiligo can affect many different parts of the body, it’s not contagious. A person with vitiligo can’t pass it on to someone else.

Vitiligo affecting the skin of the face, neck, chest, and hands.

What are the symptoms of vitiligo?

Vitiligo can cause several symptoms, including:

• white patches on the skin
• premature graying or whitening of the hair, eyebrows, facial hair, or eyelashes
• loss of pigment in the mucous membranes, including the inner lining of the nose and lips.

However, the specific areas that are affected may vary depending on the type of vitiligo.

1. Universal vitiligo: This type of vitiligo affects most of the surfaces of the skin. 

2. Segmental vitiligo: White patches appear on one side of the body. Many times it continues for a year or so, then stops. It also progresses slower than generalized vitiligo. 

3. Generalized vitiligo: Widespread white patches appear symmetrically on both sides of the body. This is the most common pattern and can affect pigment cells anywhere on the body. If often starts and stops many times over the course of a person’s lifetime.

4. Focal vitiligo: Patches tend to be smaller and occur in only a few areas of the body. 

5. Acrofacial vitiligo: This form of vitiligo primarily affects the face, hands, and sometimes feet.

What increases your risk of vitiligo?

It’s unknown exactly what causes vitiligo. The condition doesn’t appear to be inherited, and many people with vitiligo don’t have a family history of the disorder.

Some experts also report vitiligo appearing after incidents of:

• severe sunburns or cuts
• exposure to toxins and chemicals
• high levels of stress

Most researchers believe that vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder because your body is attacking your own cells.

Many autoimmune diseases may be associated with vitiligo, including:

• thyroiditis, caused by an improperly functioning thyroid
• lupus
• psoriasis
• alopecia areata, or baldness
• type 1 diabetes
• pernicious anemia, an inability to absorb vitamin B12
• Addison’s disease
• rheumatoid arthritis
• scleroderma, a disorder of the connective tissue of the body

Vitiligo affecting the skin of the face, neck, chest, arms, and hands.

What are the complications of vitiligo?

Many times, vitiligo has few physical effects on the body. The most serious complications are in the ears and eyes, but these aren’t common.

The primary physical effect is that the loss of pigment increases your risk of sunburn. You can protect your skin by applying sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, and wearing sun protective clothing.

Psychological effects

Research shows that vitiligo can cause significant psychological effects. 

• avoiding physical activities
• withdrawing from events
• feeling like their condition is a disfigurement
• depression
• anxiety
• emotional burden

If you have vitiligo and are feeling any of these negative effects, talk with your doctor or someone who cares about you. It’s also important to learn as much as you can about the disorder. This can help alleviate stress you may have about your condition or treatment options. 

What are your treatment options?

Treatments for vitiligo aim to restore color balance to your skin. Some treatments aim to add pigment, while others remove it. Your options will vary according to:

• the severity of your condition
• the location and size of your patches
• how many patches you have
• how widespread the patches are
• how you respond to treatment

For vitiligo, you might receive medical treatments, surgical treatments, or a combination of both. However, not all treatments work for everyone and some may cause unwanted side effects.

Always contact your doctor if you start experiencing side effects due to a treatment. They may adjust your dosage or provide alternatives.