Vitiligo is a common skin
disorder wherein white patches appear on different parts of the body. This
occurs when skin cells that make the pigments in the skin, the mucous membranes
such as the ones found inside of the mouth, nose, genital, rectal areas
and the retina are destroyed. This occurs on both sides of the body in the
same location. One of the symptoms of Vitiligo is the hair that grows in
the affected area turns into white.
Vitiligo affects 1-2% of the population and affects both males and females
of all races. Vitiligo can begin at any age although about fifty percent
of people who have Vitiligo developed it before they turned 25. Vitiligo
is more noticeable to people with darker skin color because the contrast
between the normal skin and the depigmentation is more visible.
The cause of Vitiligo is not known, but there are several theories on
this. One theory is that Vitiligo can be caused by an over active thyroid
– this can be tested though. Others believe that Vitiligo is hereditary.
Some perceive that people develop antibodies that destroy the melanocytes
(cell that produces melanin) in their own bodies. Some think that sunburn
or emotional distress can cause Vitiligo or just make it worse. However,
there is no scientific proof on any of these theories which is the cause
of Vitiligo. Although there are some symptoms that say mild trauma and
stress can cause new patches.
There is no way to predict if this skin disorder Vitiligo will spread.
For some people, the depigmentation does not spread but when it does,
the spreading is normally progressive. However, there are situations wherein
the patches spread to different parts of the bodies but there are also
cases where it does not. For some people, Vitiligo spreads slowly over
the years for others Vitiligo occurs rapidly.
Vitiligo is harmless. It is not infectious. It is more of a cosmetic
problem because it can be emotionally and psychologically distressing
and today there are several ways to treat Vitiligo. There is no known
cure for Vitiligo only Vitiligo treatment that can help which we explain
more in other sections of the Vitiligo Info website.
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