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’re less than 1 centimeter wide, or patches if they’re 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 body’s 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’s 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:

• Addison’s 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.