Inheritance. Vitiligo sometimes runs in families, but the inheritance pattern is complex because multiple causative factors are involved. About one-fifth of people with this condition have at least one close relative who is also affected.
What is known is that the risk of developing vitiligo increases in kids with a family or personal history of thyroid disease, diabetes, and certain conditions like alopecia (an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss). Vitiligo is never contagious — kids can't "catch" it from someone else.
Anyone can get vitiligo, and it can develop at any age. However, for many people with vitiligo, the white patches begin to appear before age 20, and can start in early childhood.
Approximately 25 percent to 50 percent of those with vitiligo also have a relative with vitiligo, while 6 percent may have a sibling who has it as well. Some MyVitiligoTeam members have family members with the skin condition.
Triggers. It's possible that vitiligo may be triggered by particular events, such as: stressful events, such as childbirth. skin damage, such as severe sunburn or cuts (this is known as the Koebner response) hormonal changes to the body, such as puberty.
Generally speaking, there's no way to prevent the onset of vitiligo. While there is no cure, the goal of treatment is to minimize the spread of the condition. However, certain lifestyle changes can help you reduce your condition from worsening.
While researchers are looking for a cure, treatment cannot currently cure this disease. Treatment can help restore lost skin color, but the color (repigmentation) may fade over time. To keep their results, many patients have maintenance treatments.
Vitiligo is an acquired depigmentation disorder affecting 1-4% of the world population with equal distribution in both genders and all ethnic groups [1–3].
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, up to half of people who develop vitiligo do so before the age of 20. But despite its high incidence in childhood and early adulthood, vitiligo can happen at any age, says the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).
Adult and mature boys or girls have to make a conscious decision and it must be noted that vitiligo should not be given undue consideration while selecting a life partner.
Vitiligo signs include: Patchy loss of skin color, which usually first appears on the hands, face, and areas around body openings and the genitals. Premature whitening or graying of the hair on your scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard.
However, vitamin C is still considered to be able to increase melanin levels. For a vitamin C boost, you can eat foods rich in vitamin C like citrus, berries, and green leafy vegetables that can optimize melanin production. Taking a vitamin C supplement has a similar effect.
If a person has vitiligo, the risk that a first-degree family member (parent, child, or sibling) is 5%, or 5 times higher than the general population.
About half the people who develop vitiligo get it before they turn 20 years of age.
In children with focal and segmental vitiligo, there is often no family history of vitiligo or other autoimmune disorders. The frequency of vitiligo among first degree relatives in white, Indo - Pakistani, and Hispanic populations is 7.1%, 6.1%, and 4.8%, respectively.
If vitiligo is not treated, it may spread extensively to involve various skin areas. Rarely, some patches may go away or decrease in size. Although vitiligo is neither dangerous nor causes symptoms, such as pain or itch, the sufferers may be upset and stressed because of the way their skin appears.
Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes the skin to lose melanin. Usually, this causes milky-white areas to appear on the skin in patches. There is currently no known way to prevent or cure vitiligo.
White patches are the main vitiligo symptoms. Patches are commonly found on the hands, feet, arms, face and lips, and children with vitiligo may also notice white hair. In some children, vitiligo patches don't spread, and in others they do. It is not usually a life-threatening condition.
Findings In this cohort study of 2 980 778 patients with vitiligo (incidence analysis) and cross-sectional study of 1 057 534 patients (prevalence analysis), the highest adjusted incidence rates were found among Asian American patients and patients aged 60 to 69 years.
Prevalence rates vary geographically and are often higher in Africa and India. Vitiligo in dark‐skinned populations and/or in regions where social and cultural stigmas are common likely leads to more patients seeking healthcare, resulting in a higher reported prevalence.
This chronic skin disease does not affect life expectancy, but it can have a significant psychological impact.
Studies suggest that vitamin D3 increases tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis in vitro [12], which may lead to repigmentation in vitiligo skin lesions. Calcipotriol and tacalcitol, which are vitamin D analogs, are also known to induce repigmentation in patients with vitiligo [13,14].
However, people with vitiligo are usually in good health and live normal lives. If it is not associated with symptoms that cause physical discomfort or complications, the condition may be left untreated. Otherwise, there are 3 treatment options for vitiligo: Camouflage using makeup and dyes to conceal affected areas.
Some food items like juicy fruits rich in vitamin C or ascorbic acid such as oranges and lemon, other fermented food items as curd, alcohol, Fish, red meat are to be avoided as they have harmful effect on vitiligo and can give rise to spreading of patches.