VitiligoVitiligo causes your skin to lose color or pigmentation. Smooth white or light areas called macules or patches appear on your skin. It generally starts on your hands, forearms, feet and face. Globally, about 1% of the population has vitiligo. Treatment is not necessary, but it is available if you do not like the changes to your skin tone.
Vitiligo (pronounced “vit-il-EYE-go”) is a skin condition that causes your skin to lose its color or pigment. This causes your skin to appear lighter than your natural skin tone or turn white. Areas of your skin that lose their pigment are called macules if they are less than 1 centimeter wide, or patches if they are larger than 1 centimeter. If you have vitiligo on a part of your body that has hair, your hair may turn white or silver.
The condition occurs when your bodys immune system destroys melanocytes. Melanocytes are skin cells that produce melanin, the chemical that gives skin its color, or pigmentation.
Who does vitiligo affect?
Vitiligo affects all races and sexes equally. It is more visible in people with darker skin tones. Although vitiligo can develop in anyone at any age, macules or patches usually become apparent before age 30.
You might be at a higher risk of developing vitiligo if you have certain autoimmune conditions like:
- Addisons disease.
- Anemia.
- Diabetes (Type 1).
- Lupus.
- Psoriasis.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Thyroid disease.
How common is vitiligo?
Vitiligo occurs in over 1% of the population throughout the world.
How does vitiligo start and progress?
Vitiligo usually starts with a few small white macules or patches that may gradually spread over your body. Vitiligo typically begins on your hands, forearms, feet and face, but can develop on any part of your body, including your mucous membranes (the moist lining of your mouth, nose, genital and rectal areas), your eyes and inner ears.
Sometimes, larger patches continue to widen and spread, but they usually stay in the same place for years. The location of smaller macules shifts and changes over time, as certain areas of skin lose and regain their pigment.
The amount of affected skin varies for each person diagnosed with vitiligo. Some people experience a few depigmented areas, while others have a widespread loss of skin color.
What are the types of vitiligo?
Types of vitiligo include:
- Generalized: This is the most common type of vitiligo that causes macules to appear in various places on your body.
- Segmental: This type only affects one side of your body or one area, such as your hands or face.
- Mucosal: Mucosal vitiligo affects mucous membranes of your mouth and/or genitals.
- Focal: Focal vitiligo is a rare type where the macules develop in a small area and do not spread in a certain pattern within one to two years.
- Trichome: This type causes a bullseye with a white or colorless center, then an area of lighter pigmentation, and an area of your natural skin tone.
- Universal: This rare type of vitiligo causes more than 80% of your skin to not have pigment.
SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES
What are the symptoms of vitiligo?
Signs and symptoms of vitiligo include:
Patches of skin or mucous membranes that lose color. These can appear white or lighter than your natural skin tone.
Patches of hair on your body turn silver, gray or white.
Symptoms can be mild and only affect a small area of your body or severe and affect a large area of your skin. Some people with vitiligo experience itchy skin before depigmentation starts.
Where will I have symptoms of vitiligo?
Symptoms of vitiligo can appear anywhere on the skin of your body. The most common places to have symptoms of vitiligo include on your:
- Hands.
- Feet.
- Arms.
- Face.
- Mucous membranes (inside of your mouth, lips and nose).
- Genitals (penis).
What causes vitiligo?
A lack of pigment in your skin (melanin) causes vitiligo. The reason why this happens is unknown. Research suggests vitiligo could be the result of:
- An autoimmune condition: Your immune system mistakes healthy cells (melanocytes) as foreign invaders like bacteria that can cause harm to your body. This makes your immune system overreact and develop antibodies to destroy your melanocytes.
- Genetic changes: A genetic mutation or a change to your bodys DNA can affect how your melanocytes function. There are over 30 genes that can increase your risk of developing vitiligo.
- Stress: The amount of pigment your melanocyte cells produce may change if you experience frequent emotional stress or physical stress on your body, especially after an injury.
- Environmental triggers: Factors like ultraviolet radiation and toxic chemical exposure can affect how your melanocyte cells function.
Is vitiligo genetic?
While research is ongoing to learn more about the causes of vitiligo, studies indicate that about 30% of vitiligo cases are genetic. This means that the condition is hereditary and you could potentially inherit vitiligo from your biological family. Several possible genetic mutations affect how melanocyte cells function. If a genetic mutation targets the cells that give your skin pigment, you will experience symptoms of vitiligo.
Is vitiligo painful?
No, vitiligo is not painful. However, you can get painful sunburns on lighter patches of skin affected by vitiligo. It is important to protect yourself against the sun with measures like using sunscreen, staying out of the sun during the hours that it is strongest and wearing protective clothing.
Does vitiligo cause complications?
Although vitiligo is mainly a cosmetic condition, vitiligo may cause:
- Sensitive skin: Macules and patches lack melanocytes, so your skin can be more sensitive to sunlight than the rest of your skin. This can cause your skin to quickly burn instead of tanning.
- Eye abnormalities: People with vitiligo may have some abnormalities in their retinas (the inner layer of your eye that contains light-sensitive cells) and some variation of color in their irises (the colored part of your eye). In some cases, there is inflammation of the retina or iris, but vision usually is not affected.
- Predisposition to autoimmune conditions: People with vitiligo may be more likely to get other autoimmune conditions that affect how their body immune system functions. Common autoimmune conditions include hypothyroidism, diabetes and anemia.
- Emotional challenges: People with vitiligo may feel embarrassed about the way their skin looks. Some people diagnosed with vitiligo develop low self-esteem. This could cause anxiety or depression and make someone want to isolate themselves or avoid social situations. If this happens, you should talk to your healthcare provider, a mental health professional or your family and friends.
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